Eric Mann's Blog

  • The 10 Commandments of Customer Service

    This week’s ten commandments strikes a little closer to business operations than marketing strategy.  All the same, your organization’s internal operations practices are just as important to your brand as the marketing department’s long-term strategy.  Don’t believe me?  Ask a firm that’s violated one of these rules: I doesn’t matter what your job is Everyone in the company is responsible for customer service – from the man who actually answers the phones to the woman in the office who writes the paychecks.  If someone asks you a question about your product, you better know the answer. Whether or not it…

  • The 10 Commandments of Blogging

    Just like every Wednesday before this, today brings yet another list of rules for the marketing world.  Although this week, we’re more on the topic of self-marketing (specifically self-branding).  Here are 10 simple rules to follow to use blogging effectively in your business, career, and even job search. Set a schedule and keep it Don’t make people guess when you’ll be posting content.  Stay consistent with your updates. Be interesting While you might absolutely love every detail about your day, we don’t necessarily need to know what you’re eating for breakfast or which pair of blue jeans you want to…

  • This week in sports

    Last night was the season opening game for the UO Ducks – my alma mater and hand’s down favorite sports team.  I’ve been waiting for the season opening game all week and made sure I was prepared for it.  I wore my duck gear to work, grilled brauts, and moved my schedule around so nothing would interfere with kickoff (I even turned my cell phone off!) Last night I saw something I never expected to see on game day.  It wasn’t that we were shut out in the first half.  It wasn’t that we lost the game.  It wasn’t even…

  • The 10 Commandments of Vacation

    If you neglect your marketing, your product will suffer.  Likewise, if you neglect your own well-being, your marketing will suffer.  Everyone needs a break, so even if you’re a workaholic you need to take a vacation from time to time.  Here are ten simple rules to follow while on vacation to make the most of your time off. Don’t think about work This is your time, and you’re not necessarily being paid for it.  Don’t do anything work related until you clock in again later. Don’t Tweet If you’re on Twitter, turn your updates off during your break.  Otherwise you’ll…

  • The 10 Commandments of Branding

    Branding is one of the many disciplines that make up marketing.  It sits alongside sales and advertising, and shares many of the same concepts and practices.  Like any other discipline, branding carries its list of dos and don’ts.  Here are ten that can help you avoid the potential pitfalls and minefields of the practice: Don’t think of branding as an endgame Branding is an on-going exercise and discipline.  Building a brand will never be a one-day activity; branding is a habit your company needs to be in because it affects everything from product design to advertising to customer support. There…

  • Social Media

    I had a great meeting this past week regarding the uses of social media in business.  It’s amazing to see how things are changing in the realm of interpersonal communication – the fact that marketing can leverage these changes as well is exciting!  If you have a personal Facebook profile, follow a friend on Twitter, post to MySpace, or write your own blog, you’re ahead of the curve.  Here are a few tips for using these kinds of social websites for business: Maintain a personal tone Too many people make their corporate Twitter account “all business.” This is boring, impersonal,…

  • The 10 Commandments of Marketing

    Just as web development has its own set of rules, so does marketing as an overall practice.  The following guidelines are not meant to be all-encompassing or exhaustive, but they will give you a framework with which to enter into the field. Do not lie While I have the greatest respect for Seth Godin, not all marketers are liars.  The best ones are truthful and their respect for honesty is reflected in their customers’ respect for the brand. Respect no-call lists We’ve all been the victim of that annoying 7pm phone call that interrupts a family meal.  As a result,…

  • If It’s Not Written Down …

    … then it doesn’t exist. That was a statement a business professor once made to me and I found myself repeating to one of my students this past week.  It’s a solid piece of business advice no matter what industry, market, or profession you’re in.  However groundbreaking that idea was or whatever innovative concept you just created is worthless if you forget to write it down. How many times have you thought, “wow, I should pick up some _____ at the grocery store,” only to walk through the magic automatic doors to forget what you came in for?  How many…

  • The 10 Commandments of Web Design

    Everything in business has its own set of rules – unbreakable guidelines we follow to create a killer product, write an amazing app, or deliver a remarkable service.  The following are the Ten Commandments of web design.  Following these rules will help you create an amazing website for your business. Do not abuse Flash Yes, Flash can be pretty cool, but don’t overuse it. In fact, try to avoid using Flash wherever possible. About half of your visitors won’t have the proper plug-in installed and will see a broken image rather than your cool new product video or animated robot.…

  • Balance

    From time to time, I struggle to find balance between my work and home lives.  Sometimes things I’m working on at home drift into the workplace.  Other times I can’t seem to find the off switch when I leave the office for the day.  When the imbalance issue crops up, it causes some serious problems in my life – but it does force me to take a fresh account of my perspective about things. I’m blessed to have a job I love.  I’ll put in a long day at work and come home, anxiously awaiting the chance to head back…