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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 »

Recommended Reading: Linchpin by Seth Godin

Friday, May 6th, 2011

The recent release of Seth Godin’s bestseller Linchpin in paperback was accompanied by an opportunity that every credit union leader should pursue.

Here’s the deal.

In a blog post last week announcing the release of the paperback edition, Godin offered free access to an awesome video created from an audio of a speech he gave last year to anyone who buys the paperback edition of the book.

It’s one of the best investments you’ll make this year.  You get a great book and access to an amazing  4-part video that will stimulate your thinking, while also showing you the power of motion graphics to tell a story (even if they do at times “run amok” as is stated on the video viewing page).

Trust me.  This is a book you want to read and a video you need to watch if you are serious about creating long term success for your credit union.

P.S.  The video would be a great way to kick-off or prepare for your next Strategic Planning Session…it is filled with thought-provoking ideas that will open the mind and lead to some real outside-of-the-box thinking.

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Posted in Effective Marketing Strategies, Growing Your Credit Union, Improving Communication, Increasing Efficiency, Leadership Development, Leveraging Technology, Recommended Reading, Strategic Planning, Strategic Thinking | 2 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 »

RECOMMENDED READING: Real-Time Marketing & PR

Thursday, December 9th, 2010

Click image to order from Amazon.com

Real-Time Marketing & PR is a book about doing business at the speed of now–something today’s credit unions know very well.   The book powerfully demonstrates how technology has revolutionized interaction with customers, suppliers, the media and other interested parties.

At its core this is a book about social media tools and their impacts on customer and media interactions. Author David Meerman Scott makes a strong case for the need to utilize these tools, no matter what your business. He vividly reveals the pitfalls of not responding immediately in a world where customers expect and demand instant communication.

Credit union leaders and credit union marketing professionals will gain a new understanding of the power of online applications like Twitter and Facebook. The author’s convincing arguments will make it clear that you need to pay attention to this emerging world of social media. His tips and insights for monitoring and measuring your efforts will be valuable to those wondering about the value of engaging in the conversation.

David Meerman Scott opened people’s eyes to the new realities of marketing and public relations in his book The New Rules of Marketing and PR. The book spent six months atop the BusinessWeek bestseller list and has been published in more than 20 languages. He is the author of a popular blog and has delivered hundreds of speaking engagements around the world. These experiences give him a unique perspective on the ways that businesses are reaching buyers in real-time.

ACTION ADVICE: Read this book and learn its lessons, then take action to improve your credit union’s performance in delivering real-time responses.  Start by reviewing what you are doing now and looking for gaps, then move to more proactive efforts to enhance what you are doing well to make it even better.  Identify the small steps and start taking them today to leverage these new tools in growing your credit union.

Posted in Building Relationships, Connecting with Generation Y, Connecting with Traditional Members, Effective Marketing Strategies, Improving Communication, Improving Member Service, Recommended Reading | 2 Comments »

RECOMMENDED READING: Focus on the Good Stuff

Thursday, November 18th, 2010

One doesn’t have to search far for negative commentary and criticism in our world, including the world of your credit union. It’s pervasive, and it’s detrimental.

The constant negative chatter around us tends to suck us in and feeds our inner critic. The result is that we end up doubting our abilities and creating more stress in our lives. In short, we become all too good at seeing what is wrong, instead of seeing what is right or possible.

In Focus on the Good Stuff, author Mike Robbins offers a plan for removing the cloud of negativity that surrounds us. He suggests that the art of appreciation—of yourself, of others, and of the situations you face—is the key. Appreciation allows you to improve relationships and to create greater success and fulfillment. It can also bring you a deep sense of gratitude for yourself, others, and for life itself.

Mike Robbins is a former pitcher with the Kansas City Royals organization. He is a sought after keynote speaker, consultant and coach with a client list that includes AT&T, Chevron, the U.S. Department of Labor, Kaiser Permanente, New York Life Insurance, and Stanford University.

Focus on the Good Stuff is one of those books that every credit union leader, manager, and employee can learn from. Much of the success of your credit union lies in the ability of the people involved to manage their mindset, and the advice Robbins provides is intended for just that purpose. It is practical, useful, and directed right at one of the underlying, though often ignored, causes of failure in business.

Posted in Recommended Reading | No Comments »

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