by Amanda Daniels-Allen | Nov 2, 2023 | Opinion + POV |
What a wall of feedback to walk into after leaving the ladies loo!
The woman who delivered this piece of information with a loud voice and tone that needed to be heard by people within the vicinity, was clearly outspoken and wanted to give me her opinion, without me actually asking for it.
This happens to me quite a lot.
Let me Set the Scene…
This was back in 2012, I had been a speaker for a few years and it was my first conference with over 100 people, happening in North Wales for the hospitability, food and drink and local businesses in the area.
My presentation at the time was all about Social Media, where I played a video to give context to what I was about to share. The soundtrack to that video was “Right Here, Right Now” by Fat Boy Slim and I became known as the Fat Boy Slim speaker. The AV guy turned it up and the music spilled out into the rest of the hotel.
I even remember what I was wearing on the day.
Floral jacket, cream top and black trousers with Black Hologram (Limited Edition) Addidas Shell Toe, the same trainers I wore to London and won my first £50,000 contract.
Anyway, back to this statement.
“I thought you would be shit…”
You don’t look much, she carried on… I thought you would be dull and not really know anything.
I stood in awe whilst witnessing this person throwing her opinions, judgement and condensing tone at me, later to find out that she was in “marketing” also.
There are a few lessons in this journal…
- Don’t judge a book by its cover – In this conference, I was an unknown headline speaker brought in by the Business Engagement & European Project Manager of a Welsh College, where I worked for as a Digital Marketing Lecturer. I do know I look young and have many people compliment me on “starting my business when I was in nappies” or saying “you don’t look old enough”. I’ve also had over the years… “you’re not just a pretty face” and someone has even said to me “you’fre lying, you’ve never done all of that”.
- Recognise someone ability – As bold as this person was, it took a lot to come up to someone she didn’t know, saw as a threat and in a round about way say that you were really good. When you see someone delivering and they have wowed you, go and tell them, because they will have worked exceptionally hard to do what they have just done.
- Show up unapologetically you – I’ve never been one for heels, skirts or what could be classes as the normal female professional attire. Wearing my Shell Toe enabled me to move the way I needed to, helped me feel comfortable in my own skin and helped me understand that it doesn’t matter what I wear, what matters is how I deliver and for me to be the best version of me. I need to be me.
- Receive feedback in all the ways it is given – Feedback is exactly that. I listened to what she had to say and thanked her for her feedback. In the next breath, I asked if she would be so bold as to create a video testimonial for me to say the exact words I’ve shared with you… “I though you would be shit…”
- People will underestimate you – When you are not normal (as in looks) or don’t fit in, you may not get the breaks or opportunities as others do, but when you do, show them how amazing you are.
This year (2023), I’ve spoken at a few conferences, business events, facebook groups, inside mastermind groups and memberships. One of the most recent places was a Mastermind Group and after I had finished, there was a break for the delegates to freshen up, grab a coffee and chat with others in the room before we carried on.
He said, she said…
The leader of this Mastermind said to me… “Well, I didn’t expect that… I actually though you wouldn’t be very good…”. I chuckled and he replied… “Why do you laugh?”.
I said, “it’s not the first time someone has underestimated me and thought I’m a young girl, whose only just learnt marketing from my bedroom and don’t really know what I’m talking about”. And instantly, I remembered this lady who said… “I thought you would be shit…”
He replied… I didn’t mean it like that, I just didn’t expect much. I made loads of notes, my team did too and think we need to work with you ourselves.
“At the very moment when people underestimate you is when you can make a breakthrough” ― Germany Kent
Being underestimated is usually based on part of your personality type and happens when someone is perceived to be younger than the others or has not had a chance to concretely proven themselves, yet.
Know that not everyone sees you…
And this is OK.
It means you need to work a little harder to show your difference, keep showing up and ask for opportunities. Most importantly, at all costs, show them what you have to offer.
I’ve been in business for 17 years this year and I have lost a lot of work due to not looking the part, people’s assumptions and opinions of me, including people thinking I haven’t achieved what I have to the point where I even started doubting myself.
However, when you keep going because it’s part of who you are and you know what you have to say is worth saying you start to get different comments.
For example;
At an international event I spoke at this year (Bermuda), a member of the cohort had heard me speak on Zoom 6 months prior. This time, we were in the same room and she said…
“You’ve surpassed my expectations; I want to work with you” and so we are…
A review I got from the conference in Wales…
“Amanda is a master at her craft. I first met her when I sat in the audience and watched her give a spellbinding presentation about the types and benefits of social media – and was so impressed by the practicality and depth of her knowledge that I immediately asked her to develop and deliver a series of two day master-classes on Digital Marketing and Social as part of the programme portfolio for my Executive Education.
Those sessions went on to become some of the most highly rated and popular of our courses and several participants went on to engage Amanda personally as their Marketing Coach – with fantastic results.” – Bangor Management Centre
The moral of the story is…
Be you, unapologetically.
Because it nourishes you and brings you opportunities you never knew you could receive.
People will underestimate you, assume things about you, give opinion and throw judgements even when they have no clue who you are, you’re experience or what you stand for.
So, you might as well be the version that keeps you true, your values real and helps you find your edge.
Feel free to share any feedback, stories or interesting opinions you have received by leaving a comment below.
by Amanda Daniels-Allen | Jun 7, 2022 | Customer Journey, Experience and Service, Opinion + POV |
Customer Experience is the new place to show your difference!
89% of companies say, Customer Experience is the new competitive battlefield, and that’s not a battle you want to lose!
It’s never been about technology and which platform(s) you are on.
It’s about your customers and their feelings, it’s about psychology.
Customer Experience isn’t just carried out once you have the customer, it’s there from the first step of their journey with you.
What is CX, Customer Experience?
Customer Experience is a totality of cognitive, affective, sensory, and behavioural consumer responses during all stages of the consumption process including pre-purchase, consumption, and post-purchase stages. (Taken from Wikipedia)
Which means, every touch point your customers (potential, new and current) encounter need to take into account your customers feelings, thoughts, understanding and acceptance of your brand and how they interact with you.
If you want more engagement, you need to create content that sparks engagement.
To get more shares, you must create content, experiences, products and services that are shareable.
For more comments, you should start a conversation.
Creating an experience isn’t just about creating content but getting the reader to do something because of what they have read, watched, listened to and consumed.
To sustain your business growth and have loyal customers, creating a customer experience help you keep clients for longer and encourages brand ambassadors and love.
How do you create a Customer Experience?
Answer these questions to create an amazing customer experience for your audience;
- Create a Customer Experience Vision (C.E.V) – What does it look like to work with you? How can you see your customers coming into your world? What needs to happen? What skills do you need to learn? What needs to change or be amended?
- Understand who your people are and what they want from collaborating with you – Knowing everything about your people is important when it comes to customer journey. Understanding their feelings, beliefs, whims, thoughts, decisions, fears and more, equips you you speak to them in their language.
- How do your people discover you? – Ask yourself, how did your last 3 clients find you? Were they recommended, was it LinkedIn or did they come to an event you ran? How do they discover you and what are they actually looking for?
- Spark an emotional connection – When you get a new client, I’m sure you create an emotional connection with them by asking questions and wanting to learn about the problem you are here to solve. Get to know them, listen (without wanting to answer but to hear what they have to say) and be interested in them, as they are in you!
- What is the best way to engage with them? – How do you engage with your clients? Do you speak regularly, find out how they are and what they are up to? Do you keep a log of this information?
- Capture customer feedback before, during and after their time with you – Do you survey your customers and check in with them? Ask them how they are getting on or what more they need from you (if anything). Gathering feedback enables you to not only be attentive but be able to anticipate their next move. Being able to answer the questions they have in their head before they know they have the question.
- Can you improve upon your delivery of your product/service? – When was the last time you updated your system or processes of taking on new clients? Is it in your head or written down? How do you know if it has been improved? What are you measuring against?
Next Steps…
Customer experience (like marketing) is an area that needs constant nurturing and care.
Review these questions every 6 months to see how your customer loyalty has improved as well as the retention or recommendations and income.
With a greater focus from you on your customer experience strategy, you will see a positive impact on your customer loyalty, higher retention rates and an increased revenue growth!
Because of what you are about to create, they (your customers; potential, new and current) will want to share you and not keep you for themselves.
by Amanda Daniels-Allen | Feb 16, 2021 | Mindset & Inspiration, Opinion + POV |
Have you watched Bridgerton?
I’m not going to lie… I’m a little late to the game and have only just started watching it. Now on Episode 6 and WOW!
It wasn’t what I expected and I love it for many reasons.
I’m a movie buff and love the cinematography, sound and of course the stories, but what I love about Bridgerton the most is the diversity and the unexpected twists it keeps producing.
How people speak, the vibrancy and colour in every scene, the costumes and music is fabulous.
But what I really wanted to talk about was the love.
You may have noticed that Daphne didn’t go for the obvious choice, she went after something that was just outside her reach, something that some didn’t believe was possible and stuck to her guns when it came to marrying for love.
Life is short
If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.
Figuring out what you’re passionate about is what keeps you going when things get a little tough. However, trying to figure out exactly what you love to do can be challenging.
The current climate is testing us all right now.
People are exhausted, a little absent-minded (due to our environments and the new things we must do), bored, frustrated and longing for the life we used to have.
I get it
So how can you add colour, music into your life or change the way you speak to yourself or others?
Your environment is one of the most influential things in your life and because it is not “normal” right now, things feel difficult.
Here are a few things to rekindle your passion with what you do:
-
- Try new things – what have you always wanted to do and never had the time? I have personally signed up for a few new courses. Jungian Archetypes and Customer Experience are two that I’m doing at the weekends.
Or get more creative.
- Rearrange, change or add to your environment – your desk, office, home, garden, inbox. Add some colour, music to your space and make it uplifting and a place you enjoy being.
- Stay true to you – this is about setting and sticking to boundaries. You know that when you cross them, things take a turn for the worst. So, stand your ground and be you!
- Forget about the money – when you fixated on it, want, need or are desperate for it, it stays away for longer. When you are in your zone genius and doing what you love, the money will flow to you!
- Change the way you speak to yourself (and others) – stop with the negative, comparison, bitching, moaning or anything else that is not positive and coming from a place of love.
Words (spoken or unspoken) are more powerful than you think.
Setting an intention and coming from a place of love, will put you in a different frame of mind, things will become easier, you become more grateful and can push through anything when you realign to your passions.
You are worth it!
Forget Marketing, Think Alignment! What I mean by this, is to have everything working as you want it to; your business, getting great clients, making more money, feeling good…
It is all about alignment and putting things in the right order.
by Amanda Daniels-Allen | Oct 25, 2019 | Brand, Koogar, Opinion + POV |
When rebranding, its always good to go back to the reason why you set up in business in the first place. Remind yourself of the situation and re-live it.
#koogarrebrand
Why did you set up in the first place?
Write the story of how your business came to be.
Why did you set up in the first place?
List the reasons, the situation, thoughts and feelings you had back then.
Write it down and get it all out onto paper or a word document if you prefer.
This will also drive you to keep going when you lose focus.
Koogar was formed on 6th November 2006. I was being approached by many Business Owners asking if I could “build a websites for them” and I’ve been asked to build all sorts of websites!
At this time, websites for business were a new marketing element businesses wanted to add so they could now be found online. The problem was, they were VERY expensive, and the quality of website being built was poor.
WordPress or “build your own websites” didn’t exist then. Websites were made using Notepad (or Text Editor) where you needed to know how to code.
Because I noticed the quality of website that was being made, I looked into them further to find most were not portraying the businesses well at all. These Business Owners were not getting the presence they really deserved and knew I could do a better job.
Checks and Research
Graphics
Logos seems to be made in Word and visuals were either taken from the internet or taken by the owners but the sizes were wrong. Out of proportion, slow loads times and not good enough quality.
Content
No effort went into the content.
These sites were full or jargon and no personality!
No calls to action, customer journey or experience created for the user. At one point, usability is the main part of my job, so needed to ensure the user of the website can easily understand the wording, buttons and navigation amongst other things.
Code
Some of the sites I looked at were shocking (some are still this way today) but I knew I could make the code leaner and more up to date.
Love and Passion
I was in my 8th year of working in the Internet/Web industry in 2006 and I was getting a little bored. The software house I worked for wanted me to become a programmer, but I knew that wasn’t my path.
I loved art and design; qualified from college as a Graphic Designer, enjoyed client meetings and putting what they wanted into the websites after asking the right questions.
So, I thought to myself… “can I make websites for businesses?”, bearing in mind, that year I was building multiple websites for companies like HSBC, head of usability and in client meetings every week.
So, the answer was, “yes, of course I can!”
Koogar was born.
1st Koogar Client
My first client (as Koogar) that year was a Hotel based in North Wales. Ged had worked with me for a very long time (13 years), like most of our clients have. He retired in 2019, selling the hotel on to a chain who took over the marketing and digital elements.
I had taken what I had learnt during my career as an Internet Developer and mixed it with what I had learnt from my parents; customer service, experience and people.
My Dad was Head Maître D in the best hotel on the island of Bermuda and my Mum was an entrepreneur and ran many businesses.
Over the years, I’d learnt the digital way of creating customer journey’s, understanding the user as well as the traditional version of customer service by understanding people and being in front of them.
Marketing is about psychology NOT technology.
Technology will change but people are people.
Marketing is about communicating well so no matter where your message is, the RIGHT people will notice you and take action. Leading them to the sale…
Without marketing (awareness or attention) you don’t get the sale!
In Summary
Koogar was born because of lack of standards and quality; not only for the websites but how they looked and sounded to the people using them.
The whole experience!
I wanted to deliver the best service as a web designer but also get the attention the Business Owners wanted and giving them the presence they all deserved.
Your 2nd Step
If you are looking to rebrand, take a step back in time.
Go back to the day you had the idea of running your own business. Remember WHY you set up in the first place. What was wrong with the industry that made to start your business?
This exercise will put fire back in you belly. Making the evolution of your brand even better than it has been!
- Check out your 1st Step in Rebranding
