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RECOMMENDED READING: The Thank You Economy

Wednesday, June 15th, 2011


Few people have leveraged the power of social media tools like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube in the way that Gary Vaynerchuk has done.

If you’re not familiar with that name, let me strongly encourage you to invest a few minutes of your time to learn how he used an online TV show called WineLibraryTV to build a brand and grow a business online.  He documents his experiences and shares a lot of insight in his book Crush It!, which was recommended by this blog a few months ago.

But Vaynerchuk’s second book is the one you really need to read.

It’s called The Thank You Economy, and here’s why every credit union leader should devour it:

It is probably the best book available regarding how the emergence of social media tools have forever changed the way customers want to interact with businesses.  The many examples Vaynerchuk shares will stimulate your thinking and reveal ways that you can strengthen member relationships by leveraging these new tools.

ACTION ADVICE: Pick up a copy today, read it, share it with your marketing team, your business development team, your senior management team, your branch managers, and your Board members–it is that important.  Everyone needs to understand what this new economy means and how it will impact everything you do in the future.  Reading this book will help your team come up with new ideas and approaches that will build stronger relationships with your current members and attract new members who will help you grow.  It will be time well invested!

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Posted in Building Relationships, Business Development, Connecting with Generation Y, Connecting with Traditional Members, Creative Ideas, Credit Union Strategy, Growing Your Credit Union, Improving Communication, Improving Member Service, Leveraging Technology, Recommended Reading, Strategic Planning, Strategic Thinking | No Comments »

Don’t Get Caught Being Incongruent

Tuesday, April 5th, 2011

Few things are more uncomfortable than finding yourself in a position where it has become clear that you are not walking your talk.

In today’s information flooded environment, it is much easier to find yourself in such a position than ever before–even though you may not realize that you are there.

Let me explain.

The day dawned like any other day.  Up at 5:45 am, head downstairs to workout in my home gym, grab some breakfast, shower, and up to the office to start a new week.

As usual, the inbox was filled with messages crying for attention.  Fortunately many of them were easily handled by pressing the delete key.

Then I opened it. (more…)

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Posted in Building Relationships, Creative Ideas, Improving Communication | No Comments »

A Creative Approach for Increasing Your Visibility

Monday, April 4th, 2011

It’s no secret that I am a fan of creative marketing ideas and approaches.  I’m also a fan of doing the unexpected and seeing if it produces results.

In light of that, my experience this morning at a local deli/coffee shop merits sharing in the hope that it will stimulate some ideas for marketing your credit union.

Here’s the story.

On my way to a meeting with a coaching client this morning I stopped by my favorite deli for a cup of iced tea (as you’ll learn in a moment, I am not a coffee drinker).

Walking in the door expecting to see the usual suspects (i.e., the staff who know why I am there before the door even closes), I was caught a bit off guard when greeted by a new face.

The smiling woman extended a pleasant “good morning,” and offered me “a free small cup of coffee” (it comes with unlimited refills, so the size really wasn’t important–though I personally would have dropped that part of the pitch as it seemed to somehow devalue the gesture). (more…)

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Posted in Business Development, Creative Ideas, Effective Marketing Strategies | No Comments »

RECOMMENDED READING: Rework

Thursday, December 16th, 2010

Attention credit union leaders looking for new ideas that can take your credit union to the next level.  Here is a book that is packed with insight, that will challenge your thinking, and that delivers actionable advice that you can put to work now and in the future.

The first thing that drew my attention to this book was the Seth Godin quote on the dust jacket stating: “Ignore this book at your own peril.”  It got told me a lot about what I would find inside the book, and I was not disappointed.

Rework is filled with practical tips, actionable advice, thought-provoking insights, and a core message that will have value to anyone running a credit union (or any other business).

The book was written by Jason Fried and David Heinemenier Hansson, the founders of 37Signals, a company described as “a trailblazing software company that produces products used by millions of people around the world.” These are the guys who created Basecamp, Highrise, and Ruby on Rails, and several other products that help teams work together more effectively. Along the way they’ve learned a number of lessons and this book shares them in an effective manner.

But Rework is much more than a story of what two guys learned while building a successful business. In fact, one of its real appeals is that it skips the usual self-indulgent stories about what the authors did, why they did it, and how amazingly it worked.

Instead, it opts for a more direct dose of reality on a wide range of topics from getting started to productivity to hiring to culture. You’ll nod in agreement, scratch your head while pondering, and ache to change the way you do things to liberate yourself from the binds that are holding your credit union back.

ACTION ADVICE: Buy a copy today, read it tomorrow, and put it to work in the days, weeks, and months ahead.  You’ll be glad you did, and you credit union and your team will realize valuable results from your efforts.

Posted in Creative Ideas, Growing Your Credit Union, Improving Communication, Improving Member Service, Improving Organizational Effectiveness, Increasing Efficiency, Leveraging Technology, Recommended Reading | No Comments »

Credit Union Strategy: How Will You Invest the Next 31 Days?

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

Chances are that someone will say this in your credit union sometime tomorrow:  Can you believe it’s December already?

Well it is, and here’s why that matters to every credit union leader.

The arrival of the last month of the year means that you have 31 days left to invest before 2011 arrives…

  • 31 days to wrap up the projects that were going to be completed this year
  • 31 days to celebrate the successes achieved this year
  • 31 days to decide what is not going to get done, to accept it, and to allocate energy where you can make the most impact
  • 31 days to assess what worked and what didn’t, and to decide what’s next
  • 31 days to finalize your action plan for 2011 and get your team excited about pursuing it

It’s an amazing gift, and it’s all yours…31 days to do whatever you need to do to ensure that you end 2010 the way that you want and to plan to make 2011 a great year for you, for your credit union, for your credit union’s members, and for your credit union team.

ACTION ADVICE: Block out an appointment with yourself today an answer the question:  How will you invest the next 31 days?  Then return to the credit union tomorrow ready to take action and create your most impact-filled month of 2010!

It’s Your Turn…Share your plans by posting a comment…what will you do with your 31 days?

Posted in Creative Ideas, Credit Union Strategy, Improving Organizational Effectiveness, Leadership Development | 2 Comments »

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