I was working with a CEO recently and he said, “I want my marketing message to speak what is in my heart.”

I responded, “No you don’t.”

Have you ever been subject to someone’s passionate (probably long winded) pitch about something they are all fired up about but you couldn’t care less about?

Yeah, me too, it’s painful.

Then he said, “I see a great need for this in the market.”

I said, “Then that makes one of you.”

It is not a need you see, it is a PERCEIVED need of others you are looking for. If someone doesn’t think they need a new car (even though you see they are driving a clunker), then THEY don’t need one.

These assumptions are why we see so much chest-beating, egocentric marketing messaging out there.

It’s obnoxious and what’s worse, it’s ineffective.

Let me give you a HUGE tip in crafting effective marketing messaging that connects with people on a gut level, grabs their hearts and moves them into action.

First, I ask you this… read more »

A couple years ago I interviewed Charlie Plumb, who was a U.S. Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. I learned a very valuable leadership lesson that I’d like to pass on to you here.

Charlie flew 74 consecutive successful combat missions. However on his 75th mission his F4 Phantom fighter plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile. The plane exploded with some 12,000 pounds of jet fuel, flipping the plane topsy-turvy, end-over-end, down toward a rice paddy below.

Charlie was forced to eject. The only thing between him and imminent death was his parachute that he prayed would open…

Then finally he felt the opening shock of the parachute. During the 90 seconds of descent he was being shot at. “The audacity of this enemy,” Charlie said, “they just knocked down my multimillion-dollar airplane and now they’re trying to kill the pilot!”

Charlie made it down to the ground alive, but was then captured and spent 2,103 brutal days as a prisoner of war in a communist Vietnamese prison camp.

Many years after being repatriated, Charlie, his wife and another couple were sitting in a little restaurant in Kansas City together before going to a theater show that night.

Two tables over was this guy who kept looking at him. Charlie would look back but didn’t recognize him, but he kept catching this guy staring at him. Finally the guy stood up and walked over to Charlie’s table and pointed at him with a sort of a stern look on his face and he said, “You’re Captain Plumb.” Charlie looked up at him and said, “Yes, I am Captain Plumb.” The guy said, “You’re that guy. You flew jet fighters in Vietnam. You’re a fighter pilot, part of that ‘Top Gun’ outfit. You launched from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk, you parachuted into enemy territory and you spent six years as a prisoner of war.”

Somewhat dumbfounded Charlie looked up at the guy and asked, “How in the world did you know all that?” The man chuckled, smiled and said, “Because I packed your parachute.”

Charlie was speechless. The man grabbed Charlie’s hand and pumped his arm and said, “I guess it worked” and walked off.

Charlie laid awake that night thinking about all the times he had walked through the

long narrow room, below sea level on the aircraft carrier, with the tables where the men packed the parachutes. How many times he must have walked past this man without even saying “hi,” “good morning” or “good job” or “I appreciate what you do.”

“How many times did I pass the man whose job would eventually save my life… because I was a jet jockey, a Top Gun racing around the sky at twice the speed of sound. Because I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor.”

Think about this for yourself. How many times in life do you pass the people who help you out the most? The people who come out of the far corners of your life just when you need them the most and pack your parachutes for you? The people who go the extra mile, the people who don’t look for the kudos or the accolades or the achievement medal or even the bonus check—the folks who are just out there packing parachutes?

So here’s what I want to challenge you to do. Look around your organization for the people who might not be the ‘Top Guns’ of your organization, the loud and brazen leaders, but the ones who support the system that enables the Top Guns to fly. And if something goes wrong it will be because they did their job that no one gets hurt or a customer doesn’t go neglected.

This week find 5 parachute packers in your organization and tell them how much you appreciate them and how important are the things they do for the organization. Because, in the end, it might just be them who save your life or your business, or at least save the day.

After you have acknowledged your 5 people, I would love to hear about your experience. Please share them with the rest of us.

Share your thoughts, ideas and experiences in the comments below. Use the ‘Like’ and ‘Share’ buttons below too.

Last week in the SUCCESS in Action series I introduced you to HPF member and business owner Misty Lown in an article titled ‘WOW’! Well, many of you were ‘WOWed’ and wanted more ideas from Misty on How to ‘WOW’. She has graciously put together the two articles below. I suggest using these as a punch list to improve the ‘WOW’ factor in your own business. If you do, you too might be able to grow your business 20X the average size of a business in your industry as Misty has in hers.

5 Tips for Motivating ‘WOW’ in Your Clients

1.  SHOWCASE their achievements.

It doesn’t even have to relate to

your business.  At my dance studio we recognize student dance achievements, but what we don’t stop there!  We make announcements for students who are A+ Achievers in school, sports, and community.  If we are about “more than just great dancing”, it makes sense to showcase our clients who are, too!

2.  TRAIN desired behaviors with rewards.

My HPF friend, Dr. George Sargiss, will probably agree that this is very effective.  My son Mason is rewarded with prize tickets every time he shows progress at his orthodontist appointments.  I could never motivate him to wear his retainer like those tickets do!  And, it’s not just kids who respond to rewards.  If you have a frequent flier account or a credit card with miles, you have been trained as well!

3.  COMPLIMENT something about your client every time you see them—even if it’s just their hair.

According to Dale Carnegie, the greatest desire of the human heart is read more »

Over 200 years ago on a lone battlefield a man in civilian clothes rode past a small group of exhausted battle-weary soldiers frantically digging an obviously important defensive position.

The section leader, sitting leisurely on his horse with canteen in hand, made no effort to help, and shouted orders and

threatened punishment if the work was not completed within the hour.

The stranger in civilian clothes rode his horse up to the section leader and asked him, “Why are you not helping?”

“I am in charge,” shouted the man. “The men do as I tell them.” And then added, “Help them yourself if you feel so strongly about it.”

To the section leader’s surprise the stranger dismounted and helped the men, toiling in the dirt under the hot sun until the job was finished.

Before leaving the stranger congratulated the men for their work, and approached the puzzled section leader.

“You should notify top command next time your rank prevents you from supporting your men—and I will provide a more permanent solution,” said the stranger.

Up close, the section leader now recognized General Washington… and also the lesson he’d just been taught.

Get in the trenches and do what you would have others do. Make your action your instruction.

What

are 5 behaviors, disciplines and actions you want your team to take this week?
Do them yourself… with excellence. Eventually they will follow your lead… and you will earn the title of leader.

I interviewed an extraordinary woman recently. It’s become one of my top 10 favorite interviews of all-time. Her name is Frances Hesselbein. Frances was the leader of millions of young women as the CEO of the Girl Scouts of America for 14 years and Chairman of the United Way during periods of history where it was extremely rare for women to hold such prominent leadership positions. When you listen to Frances it’s almost like getting the chance to hear from a great figure in history like Eleanor Roosevelt or Margaret Thatcher. When you listen to her you’ll know what I mean.

Here’s a small segment from that private interview where she tells the story of the greatest leadership lesson she ever learned—CLICK HERE to listen.

Offer your thoughts, ideas and insights in the comments below. Use the ‘Like’ and ‘Share’ buttons below too.