The Silent Language in Business

Do me a small favor before I begin my latest muse. It will take you all of 80 seconds. You will need to enlist the assistance of a friend or colleague for this one, or just look into a mirror and pretend you're looking at a friend or colleague if you like (but please make sure you're alone, otherwise people will think you've turned into a total weirdo altogether). Now, without telling your mate the word you are trying to communicate, your task is to convey the meaning of the following words without using your voice, just your body. As soon as they guess the right answer, move on to the next word. Or, if they don't guess correctly inside 10 seconds, move on.


          Ready? Ok, here we go...
          1. Surprise
          2. Anger
          3. Happiness
          4. Fear
          5. Boredom
          6. Confidence
          7. Sadness
          8. Disgust


Well, how did you do? I bet you managed to convey the meaning of all, or certainly most, of the words just through the use of body language, am I right? Body language, or 'non-verbal communication' to give it its proper name and keep my social scientist readers happy, is pretty important for anyone working in a role that involves them communicating with people face-to-face.

The Importance of Non-Verbal Communication
As a percentage, how much of the meaning we convey, do you think, is communicated through non-verbal communication? Ten percent? Twenty percent? Fifty percent? You may be surprised to hear that much research suggests seventy or eighty percent is a more accurate estimate. What we say, and how we say it, is of importance. Of more importance though, tends to be the non-verbals we communicate. Things like; making eye contact, which is the non-verbal way of communicating the message "I am interested in what you are saying and I am listening" (or not); smiling, which is infectious and sends messages to the brain relating to enjoyment of the social interaction (or frowning, which is also infectious and sends the opposite message); or using your hands to express yourself, which conveys a level of passion and enthusiasm (or staying rigid and motionless, which conveys dullness and disinterest).

A Hand-Shake is Just a Hand-Shake - Right?
A hand shake, believe it or not, can be particularly meaningful to the subconscious mind. In most business interactions, particularly in western cultures, the hand shake is the only physical contact between parties. The degree of firmness on the grip, the depth of the interlock and the duration, are all important elements. This is particularly true when it comes to two parties entering into a negotiation and trying to get the 'upper hand' early on. Or when it comes to a sales person introducing themselves and trying to convey an air of confidence. Have you ever shook a sweaty palm? It doesn't tend to leave you with fond memories of the experience, does it?

The Decisions We Make About Others Based on Non-Verbals
One piece of research, carried out by Michael Solomon in the Graduate School of Business in New York, suggested that humans tend to make up to 11 decisions about someone inside the first 7 seconds of meeting them, based on their non-verbal communication. Their economic status, level of education, trustworthiness, sexual orientation, even whether or not we like the person, are all things, Solomon suggests, we decide inside the first 7 seconds. Pretty incredible when you think about it.

There are two sides to this story; reading other people's and being aware of our own non-verbal communication. We can become quite skilled at reading other people's body language, and conferring meaning, if we watch out for the signs. And the next time you interact with a colleague or customer, make sure it is not just your words you choose wisely.


PS. If you are interested in learning more about non-verbal communication, watch Amy Cuddy's fascinating TED Talk. She has conducted much research in the area and has proved that, although our non-verbals influence others' perception of us, they also influence our own thoughts and behaviours. In other words, your body language sub-consciously shapes who you are. If you have 20 minutes to spare, this video is well worth a watch.

Gavin Fox MSc

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I Heard it Through the Grapevine

This week I thought we would indulge in a little nostalgia and take a look at, in my opinion, one of the best ads ever produced - they don’t make them like this anymore. (And, if you remember this one, you are probably in at least your fourth decade, so apologies for making you feel old.)

1985 was the year (30 years ago now) and Levis was struggling. Levis was supposed to be the brand of choice for the younger generation, but they were under attack from a number of new fashion brands that were winning the battle for coolness. As a result, Levis had become the jeans that the dads were wearing (and not even the cool dads).

Levis needed to do something and fast. They approached the ad agency BBH (Bartle Bogle Hegarty) and what came next, the creation of John Hegarty and Barbara Noakes, turned Levi’s fortunes. Firstly, before creating anything, BBH applied a little science to the process and conducted some research. The term ‘cool’ is a relative one and has different meaning, depending on who you talk to. BBH needed to find out what Levi’s target audience considered cool. Surprisingly, the intended audience, fifteen to nineteen year olds, seemed to associate the period of the fifties and sixties with coolness, recalling such figures as Elvis Presley, James Deane, and Sam Cooke.

With this as the leading insight, BBH decided to produce something that was very different from the usual run-of-the-mill advertisements of the time. The ad would feature the UK-model Nick Kamen entering into a launderette, getting his kit off and placing it in a washing machine (which kit included a very nice pair of stonewashed 501s), and sitting down in his boxer shorts while he waited for his jeans to be ready. BBH originally wanted Nick Kamen to wear a pair of briefs (which were more popular at the time), but this was rejected by the advertising authority because it was too raunchy. He did all of this while the ladies present observed (and drooled), an over-weight (and fully clothed) guy gave him a sideways glance and Marvin Gaye’s I heard through the grapevine played in the background (although it wasn’t actually Marvin Gaye singing, but that wasn’t all that important). Not only was the scene that was set absolutely captivating, but it was the first time that music was used in this way as an advertising appeal, leading to the now classic track being re-released and becoming a top ten hit once again.

And, apart from being proud of owning one of the best ads ever produced, what else did Levis achieve? Sales of 501s rose by more than eight hundred percent. In fact, Levis eventually had to stop the ad because they couldn’t keep up with the demand that had been generated. By 1987, sales of 501s were twenty times what they were just three years previous. Even sales of boxer shorts went through the roof.

So, it’s about time we had a look at it. And, as a final note, invite John Hegarty and Barbara Noakes to take a bow because, thirty years on, this piece of work is still up there with the very best of them.

Why Some Achieve Great Things They Have No Right to Achieve

I would like to deviate slightly from my usual marketing theme and ask you a question; do you feel you are realising your true potential? In other words, do you think you are achieving as much as you possibly can in your life and career? I bet you are not. I know I am not. If I am being honest, over the past few years, much of my potential, drive, intrinsic motivation to achieve great things has been lying dormant. I burst onto the scene in my early career, achieving great things and having an insatiable hunger for more. I felt like I had so much to give and I was determined to unleash it on the world. It's not really the right term to use I know, but I felt like I was 'destined' for great success. Then the financial crash came. I allowed some setbacks and difficulties to switch off that drive and absolute determination to achieve. I questioned my ability and became fearful of trying things, of taking risks, of making mistakes. In so doing, I became my own worst enemy.

So what has motivated me to write these words now and share them with anyone who cares to read them? Well, I was privileged enough to attend a very special event two days ago that, if I am being honest, might just have flicked that internal switch back on. The Pendulum Summit (www.pendulumsummit.com), organised by Frankie Sheahan, is an event all about self empowerment and realising your true potential. Some of the insights and stories presented were nothing short of profound. Stories about people that achieve great things that, on paper, have no right to achieve. Great things that would never have been possible had they listened to that negative voice in their head that may have told them they couldn't do it. And what struck me was that, many of these people were disadvantaged compared to those around them and yet out performed the rest. There are no extraordinary people. Just ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Here are some of the key lessons I took from the day that will be of benefit to every single person who works hard to put them into practice.

1. Dream and set goals - 

Martin Luther King had a dream. He didn't have a strategic plan. Find out what you are passionate about and make it your mission to work in that area. Set goals. Write them down. Tell others what those goals are. Because doing so will help you commit to achieving them.

2. Focus on how far you've come, not on how far you've left to go - 

Debra Searle set out to row across the Atlantic with her husband only to discover a week into the challenge that her husband had a phobia of open water (it might have been handy if he realised this before he set out). He had to be rescued and taken to dry land. She decided she wanted to finish the challenge herself and go it alone. She was not a champion rower, in fact, she'd never rowed before. She was not big and strong. Some days she would row as hard as she could to make up 30 miles only for an overnight storm to knock her back 50. She said when she would look at the whole chart of how vast the Atlantic Ocean was, and how far she had to go, she felt demoralised. So she only allowed herself to open up her chart on the small section where she was. She celebrated at noting the progress she made. A very useful lesson.

3. Choose your attitude - 

Sticking with Debra's story, she said she couldn't choose if she'd get eaten by a shark (and she seen plenty), or get run over by a freightliner ship (which almost happened more than once). But she could choose her attitude. Control the controllables and don't give too much time, energy and thought to stuff you can't control. Attitude is a controllable.

4. Change - 

Kingsley Aikins came out with a few gems as he MC'd the morning session. Here's one: "The Stone Age didn't end because they ran out of stones". Change is absolutely inevitable. It is not the strongest that survive, but those that handle change most effectively. 

5. Focus on excellence, not success - 

Not my words, this was the advice of the great Deepak Chopra. If you focus on the end game, the success, you take your eye off the ball (my words). Every single thing you do, perform to the highest possible standard. All those moments of excellence have to lead to success.

6. Develop a relationship action plan - 

Keith Ferrazzi offered this one. He said find out what it is you want to do and identify three people who are influential to you achieving it. Reach out to them and find out how you can serve them. Don't reach out to them and tell them what you want. Reach out to them and help them achieve what they want. It might sound a little holistic, but what you give will come back to you.

7. Be present. Live in the moment - 

In recent times, I have been living in the past. Focusing on what I was, what I achieved previously. Focusing on success, and not excellence, might lead you to living in the future. And guess what? Neither the past or the future exists. Well, ok, the past might exist, but you can't change it. The future definitely doesn't exist (yet). It is what you do now, in the present, that will define what your future is. Giving everything you have to the present, to the moment you are living right now. Me writing these words; you reading them. That's all we really have. So, commit to every moment and don't waste it thinking about moments that simply don't exist.

8. Don't limit your potential - 

Why do people who have (on paper) no right to achieve great things, achieve great things? People with disabilities. People who are seriously disadvantaged. People who face bigger adversities than others around them. The reason is they do not allow themselves or others to limit their potential. Some of the most influential leaders of all time - Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Barrack Obama - were seriously disadvantaged compared to those around them and yet they changed the world. We all have the potential for greatness. "The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark" (Michelangelo Buonarroti).

On a final note, well done to Frankie Sheahan for having the vision and the courage to create this special and inspirational event. I am pretty sure if we all as individuals were to practice what we learnt, we could be whatever we want to be and maybe, just maybe, we could change the world.

Direct Mail - Is It The New Channel?

2015 looks promising for Irish business. Improvements in the economy, more favourable growth forecasts, and a budget for the upcoming year which supports small business all lead to the promise of an increase, in disposable income. Nevertheless, while we look at almost any market, we still find deep demographic variations, social class divisions and a geographic disparity in terms of recovery between Dublin, the commuter belt around it, and the rest of the country (a). This scenario urges marketing decision makers to continue to place their budgets wisely and to choose their communication channels based on measurable key performance indicators, such as attracting new customers, converting leads into sales and/or maintaining existing customers.

Integration Gives the Multiplier Effect

Every channel of communication has its own strengths and weaknesses. The thing that makes marketing channels powerful is the multiplier effect when integrated in a multi-channel marketing mix. A single channel approach is simply not smart. Two channels often identified as effective when it comes to integration are mail and email, a combination that often delivers big results. In fact, according to recent research (b), campaigns including mail achieved over twice the market share growth than campaigns without mail in the mix; of campaigns delivering high sales performance, 27% more included mail than those that did not; and campaigns that drove high acquisition levels, 40% more included mail than campaigns that did not. The reason for this is direct mail’s effectiveness in driving traffic online. 54% of Irish consumers are more likely to click a search link for a company if they have received anything from them in the post (d). A behaviour that increases with age, with those between 45 and 64 years old the most predisposed to do so (64%). (d)

Irish Consumers Love Receiving Mail

In Ireland, we love post. 72% of the Irish consumers enjoy the routine of receiving the household mail so much that they would feel lost without it (a). That’s why 73% say that they put time aside to go through it and 62% enjoy when they have direct mail in their post-box; becoming particularly relevant to them if its addressed (69% vs. 35% when unaddressed) (a). No wonder that no other form of advertising is as relevant to the Irish customer as addressed mail (75%) (c): It is the strongest advertising channel at making Irish consumers feel valued (48%), and that’s not just the over 30’s: 47% of 18-25 year olds reported the same sense of feeling valued. The 48% score for addressed direct mail is followed by email at 30%, then by TV at 22% (e). But it’s not just about how direct mail makes those customers ‘feel’, it’s also what they get from it: 60% consider direct mail to be really useful for finding out about special offers and promotions, and 56% for finding out about new products and services (a).

Young People Love It

If you were to ask many marketers ‘what is the best way to target an 18 to 25 year old audience?’, I bet most would say digital marketing and, in particular, social media. There’s no doubt these channels are effective, but the fact that every other brand is competing for their attention through these channels provides a significant challenge. 18 to 25 year olds have become very good at ignoring many of these brand messages. Not many brands, however, are communicating to them through direct mail. And when you consider that 71% of 18 to 25 year olds say they enjoy receiving direct mail from brands you might very well wonder why (e). To this audience direct mail (as opposed to online media) is the new channel. And given the fact that not many brands are using it to communicate with them, direct mail provides a real stand out opportunity.

So this year, make it your marketer’s resolution to carefully consider the channels that will deliver the best results for your business and its brands. And, as part of an integrated marketing approach, I bet direct mail will deliver.

(a) An Post Communications Panel Wave 21 Feb-Apr 2014 prepared for An Post by B&A

(b) IPA Databank meta-analysis conducted by Peter Field and Royal Mail, 2014

(c) An Post Corporate Image Tracker April-June ‘14 for An Post carried out by Millward Brown

(d) An Post Communications Panel Sep-Nov 2013 for An Post carried out by B&A

(e) Amarach consumer research for An Post 2013