I love music. From the days of 4-track and 8-track tapes, music has played a key role throughout my life. For those of you who wonder what those are, I have added Wikipedia reference links.
I’m a hack drummer and enjoy going to live concerts. Occasionally I will watch the well-produced concerts that are broadcast on TV. These are filmed in HD so they look and sound great.
Recently, I stumbled upon a Brian Wilson concert from the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. Brian is one of the creative forces behind the legendary Beach Boys. The concert band was made up of old and young musicians.
Brian seems to be a bit comatose while singing and playing a beautiful white grand piano, but he is still getting the job done. Al Jardine, a prominent figure in the Beach Boys’ 50-year history, was wearing a bright white suit (right out of the ‘70s). Someone I wasn’t familiar with took the lead on a couple songs. I learned this was Blondie Chaplin, a short-term member of the Beach Boys.
Watching this concert, it’s evident that these guys are old! Al Jardine is 72 (born in 1942), Blondie is a spry 64 (born in 1951) and Brian Wilson is 73 (born in 1941). Blondie, the youngest of the old guys, looked the oldest to me, but can still bring it, as shown in the video of “Wild Honey” from this show. Perhaps it’s from hard living. He did play at times with The Rolling Stones and other rock acts.
While these musicians are in their “senior” years, they have retained most of the skills that brought them success throughout their careers. This is not to say they don’t miss a note or can play to the level they did in their youth … but they are not too old to rock. Not by a long shot.
While no one is getting younger, some of us still think young. I love the passion that’s in PromoKitchen, an organization that pushes forward the value of education and promotes mentorships in our industry. Personally, the younger generation of industry leaders excites me and, frankly—at the risk of offending a few—old people who think old and are content with how things have always been done bore me. And I am an “old” person!
Our industry offers creative and innovative ways to share a business or organization’s message. That hasn’t changed. Yet some are content to do things the same way they always have, seemingly oblivious to a completely different marketplace. I feel sorry for them.
In this short video, a savvy distributor shows how she uses the tools my program, FreePromoTips.com, provides, showcasing a SnugZ USA video. This has been very effective for her, and she has the Google analytics to back it up. Any distributor can do this, and any supplier can showcase its products in ways that are effective in today’s marketplace.
Several key things drive the new marketplace, and you don’t have to be younger in age to do these. Here are just a few:
- Make it simple to do business with you.
- Nurture a brand image buyers can trust.
- Understand the power of video…short, sharable video is good.
- Develop an engaging and relevant online presence.
Those in our industry who think effective marketing online or offline is about having the lowest price on the same product many people sell are missing the mark.
We see this from those in our industry who are trying to build an online presence, but haven’t invested in learning how it all works. Dave Kerpen, CEO of Likeable Media, has a great way of putting it: “At a cocktail party, you wouldn’t walk up to someone and say, ‘Hey, I’m Dave. My stuff is 20 percent off.’ What you do is ask questions, tell stories, listen and relate to people.”
Through the years, I’ve attended many trade shows, which I love. I have relationships with many savvy distributors around the country. We often talk about how many suppliers just aren’t effective with the personal connection opportunities that trade shows offer. Please understand, this is not a broad stroke comment. But the suppliers that are playing the same old tune miss opportunities.
From most people’s vantage points, I’m an old guy. I just “celebrated” another birthday. And I’ve had quite a few birthdays. But I’m not too old to rock. I’m actually starting a new band! Energized by the prospect of not only helping a few select distributors and suppliers, we will help thousands through our health and wellness program, SuccessFit 4 Life!
Those who follow what I do may be familiar with the SuccessFit program we created last year. At The PPAI Expo in January, we had a successful fun run/walk that raised money and awareness for the Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF). We will be doing SuccessFit 4 Life! at the 2016 Expo. A few people told me how much they appreciated this, and how it actually helped motivate them to get moving, which is good for everyone.
SuccessFit was born out of my own personal journey, getting active after being disabled most of my life from an old injury. A successful ankle fusion surgery enabled me to get my life back. I’m doing what I can to make the most of the years I have left. With the encouragement of others, I’m running, cycling and training for a half marathon.
It’s not a surprise that many successful people tend to be disciplined and fit. Just to be clear, money, or some sort of status position, does not define success. It’s about being successful achieving the goals that you choose. The lifestyle that comes from being active and eating well offers many rewards.
This is what’s behind the creation of SuccessFit 4 Life!, a program that will be available to consumers, with custom branding for businesses and organizations. If you are a savvy distributor with clients that will benefit from a program like this, please feel free to reach out to me.
Many can relate to the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Anyone—at any stage of their life—can make positive changes that will offer all kinds of benefits.
The same thing applies to our business lives. Regardless of where you are in your career, you can make a difference in the lives of your clients. You are never too old to rock!
Jeff Solomon, MAS, is affiliated with a Top 10 distributor company and also publishes FreePromoTips.com, a popular industry resource. The PPAI award-winning FreePromoTips.com website and twice a month e-newsletters are packed with beneficial information. You can opt in to receive these informative twice a month e-Newsletters here! Check out what’s new in the GP2: Good Products-Good Prices section of the site. Take advantage of free end-user safe product videos you can share from their YourPromotionSolution.com website. You can stay connected to FreePromoTips on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or me personally on LinkedIn, my personal Twitter account and my Instagram account. Follow my occasional live broadcasts on Periscope: @JeffSolomonMAS
