Do you recognize the blissful ignorance effect in your mediation marketing?

Is it possible to give too much information about mediation or your services in your marketing?

Maybe so.

Consider this University of Iowa study and the so-called Blissful Ignorance Effect:

“We found that once people commit to buying or consuming something, there’s a kind of wishful thinking that happens and they want to like what they’ve bought,” said assistant professor of marketing Dhananjay Nayakankuppam. “The less you know about a product, the easier it is to engage in wishful thinking. But the more information you have, the harder it is to kid yourself. This can be contrasted with what happens before taking any action when people are trying to be accurate and would prefer getting more information to less.”

The study focused on products, but I couldn’t help but wonder if the conclusions teach us something about marketing services as well. While I’m always cautious about generalizing beyond the research scope, it sure is tempting to consider it.

What do you think? Leave a comment with your opinion.

Found via Guy Kawasaki.


Copyright © 2008 by Tammy Lenski. All rights reserved.

Downturn in economy, upturn in mediation use?

LegalZoom is suggesting that mediation is one of the Top Businesses to Start in a Sluggish Economy. It comes in at #4 in the list of ten.

Their reasoning is, “In tough economic times, many people turn to mediators rather than attorneys to settle disputes simply because they are less expensive. If you’re skilled at negotiating this may be the business opportunity you are looking for.”

The full list looks like this: [Read more]

Success leaves clues: Gini Nelson

Success Leaves Clues is my occasional series of interviews with interesting ADR professionals who have effectively navigated the intersection of technology use and ADR practice-building.

Gini Nelson and I re-connected a few weeks ago and agreed to exchange interviews, and I’m delighted she’s agreed to be profiled for this series. I first met Gini in person a few years ago at the Minneapolis ACR, when I attended a terrific workshop she lead on the neuroscience of conflict. I’d been teaching a grad course for years that integrated that topic into the course and was curious what Gini might add to my thinking about it. She was a dynamic presenter with good content and I’ve followed her blog and newsletters ever since.

Gini’s an active user of the web, [Read more]

How to make ADR marketing part of your routine

A teleseminar participant recently asked me for advice about making time to do the marketing necessary to build a truly healthy mediation practice. I’m already working full-time as an attorney, she said, and have a family. Exactly when would I market my mediation services…midnight?

Making Mediation Your Day Job offers an entire chapter on the topic, of course, and I’ve also written about it here in articles like Do You Let the Urgent Get in the Way of the Important? and How Much Time Should You Spend on Marketing?

Chris Brown of Branding & Marketing blog [Read more]

Marketing with presentations: advice from a master

One of my most effective marketing strategies has always been to offer presentations on conflict resolution to audiences in my target market. In my first year of business over a decade ago, I gave more than 30 such presentations. Almost all of them created valuable connections and interest that helped me make mediation my full-time work in less than two years.

For a long time, I avoided PowerPoint in my presentations. I’d sat through far too many boring, bullet-point packed, read-word-by-word PowerPoint events and didn’t want my own presentations to be associated with a tool that’s been sorely misused. I didn’t want to be someone about whom PowerPoint comedy sketches could be made!

In the past year, thanks to Garr Reynolds’ blog, Presentation Zen, I reconsidered my vow and began reintroducing PowerPoint into my speeches and mini-workshops for prospective clients. And I learned that, used well, PowerPoint substantially improved my speaking gigs and made the material — and thus me — much more memorable.

If you want to — or already do — give presentations as part of your mediation marketing strategy, I highly recommend three Garr Reynolds resources: His blog, his superb book, Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery, and the video below.

The video is from Reynolds’ 21 March 2008 presentation to Google employees. Settle in with a cup of coffee, a note pad, and watch a master at work. It’s worth every minute:

Enjoy,


Copyright © 2008 by Tammy Lenski. All rights reserved.

Mediation marketing resources, april 2008

Mediation Marketing Resources is my periodic roundup of articles, tools and ideas that offer insights and support for your ADR marketing efforts.

This month’s roundup gathers together articles on branding, blogging and ways to avoid watering down your valuable time:

How do you set yourself apart from the competition? Business coach Dave Navarro offers three powerful questions for clarifying your brand and differentiating yourself in 3 Steps to Creating a Freelancing Brand that Sells.

What associations do you want prospective clients to make with your business brand? In The Brand-Name Brain, Deliberations blog shares research on the associations created by well-known logos (found via Victoria Pynchon).

Do you run your business by trying to be all the roles (bookkeeper, graphic designer, etc)? In Refocusing Your Business With an “I Am No Good At” List freelancer Samuel Ryan reminds us that being the “do everything” entrepreneur can be path to business failure.

Have you ever been asked when you plan to return to “real work”? Most new micro-business owners and consultants have. In How to Stay Confident in Your Decision to Start Your Business small business marketing entrepreneur Shannon Cherry offers some advice for responding.

Thinking about blogging as part of your mediation marketing strategy? Marion Sanchez of Shoestring Branding has a terrific post on the Ten Essential Tools You’ll Need to Launch a Blog. I use almost all the same tools Mario does and can vouch for their excellence.

Happy reading,


Copyright © 2008 by Tammy Lenski. All rights reserved.

New book discussion forum helps jumpstart your mediation marketing

It’s been a treat to get emails from those of you who’ve read Making Mediation Your Day Job: How to Market Your ADR Business Using Mediation Principles You Already Know and learn the new clarity, new energy or new ideas you walked away with.

Some of you have also expressed interest in a place for open discussion about the book and the exercises in it, a place to keep the momentum going and to ask questions that have come up.

You asked for it and I’ve created it. I’ve just put the finishing touches on the new Mediator Tech Discussion Forum and it’s there waiting for you, with a special section just for those of you who’ve read the book. Use the forum to ask questions, share successes, ponder challenges and learn from one another. Some forum use ideas include: [Read more]

Mediation marketing quote of the month, april 2008

“A major stimulant to creative thinking is focused questions. There is something about a well-worded question that often penetrates to the heart of the matter and triggers new ideas and insights.”

— Brian Tracy

[Found via fellow mediator and ADR blogger Lee Burns] [Read more]