10 minute read
The french funnel
The french funnel
“Please press 2 for service in French”
ÉDOUARD MILOT
MARKETING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE HALIFAX
How many times have you skipped this option on a phone call? Perhaps dozens of times, if not more. It’s understandable. English might be your first language — or at least the one you use every day in your business. However, many people in Nova Scotia and Canada are thrilled when they hear this option. They know they can be provided with a service in their first language and therefore, feel included.
What about French-speakers looking for business recommendations via social media? A business that can communicate with clients in French may be more likely to secure a transaction. It may also reap the benefits of positive publicity within the French-speaking community. Word travels fast in the community and you can’t beat free publicity.
The ability to serve clients in French gives businesses a competitive edge in capturing a market share of the francophone population in Nova Scotia. Such businesses are also on track to gain customer loyalty in a niche market, where good business is about relationships. We call this the “French Funnel” — a way of guiding a niche market to your business.
A purchasing decision can be viewed as a reaction in three acts. The first act involves emotions: a buyer desires a product or service. The second act involves trust: the buyer evaluates the credibility of the product or service. The third act involves logic: the buyer uses reasoning to validate a purchasing decision and seal a deal.
A business capable of serving a French-speaking client in their preferred language is in a strong position to guide — or funnel — the client from the initial emotional phase to the critical trust phase. French-speakers appreciate the feeling of comfort that comes from being served in their first language, even if they can speak and understand English. Moving to the third phase is about meeting the client’s rational needs and expectations regarding the specific product or service.
You might ask: What about the training costs to businesses for employees to learn French? Being able to serve a clientele in their preferred language should be regarded as a long-term investment that can be put to good use as a marketing tool. Professional development is part and parcel of any business that wants to keep up with market and technological developments. Why not view language training the same way? We suggest starting with the low hanging fruit: graduates from immersion or French schools who have a solid language base. While many languages are spoken in the Halifax Regional Municipality, why not start with French — Canada’s other official language? ■
Being accountable on social media
EMILY VINCENT SOCIAL MEDIA CREATOR, REVOLVE
Growing up, we learned the consequences of not being accountable and taking responsibility. Whether it was losing our phone for a week or getting detention after school, there was always a lesson learned when we broke the rules. We may not have known it at the time, but these consequences taught us the importance of being accountable for our actions.
TRANSPARENCY
In recent years, we’ve seen brands taking responsibility, especially online, when consumers are offended by their actions. We are in a pivotal time as consumers simply don’t know where to go for reliable information. Trust on social media is at an all-time low. As a result, communication and marketing standards are higher than ever. As consumers expect full transparency, brands must deliver. Online users will quickly and loudly call out brands on social media, which is why a positive perception through transparent messaging is vital to protecting a brand and mitigating risk. Healthy relationships and online conversations with consumers will lead to long-term trust.
AUTHENTICITY
Social media is where consumers expect the greatest level of authenticity. The fourth wall has been eliminated, and consumers are pushing brands toward creative ways of communicating transparency. Properly planned and executed, social media marketing can build more authentic connections between a brand and their audience, especially when the brand takes a strategic approach in what they communicate.
LISTEN
Brands need to listen to consumers to understand what they want and need. If a brand receives criticisms, they should respond quickly and make good on promises. Consumers don’t expect perfection, but they do expect mistakes to be corrected in a way that shows the brand cares. But don’t fall prey to the prevalent cancel culture that grew during the pandemic, where activists boycott brands — sometimes for good reason and sometimes not. Revolve has worked with many brands, large and small, who were attacked online and quickly noticed the impact on their bottom line as online trolls piled on.
RESPONSIBILITY
Taking a stance is admirable, but it isn’t enough. It’s essential to take responsibility. Show how your brand is making good on its promises and measuring performance. This can be done by taking issues your brand has a stance on and incorporating those perspectives in your business and culture.
Social media lessons continue to be learned everyday, but brands who set themselves up to be trusted through transparency, authenticity, and responsibility will be rewarded with advocacy and support when they do have a misstep online. ■
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Emily Vincent is a Social Media Creator at Revolve Branding and brings engaging digital storytelling to our social services. She helps ensure our clients are authentically creative in their content strategies. Brands like TIMBER MART, Kohltech Windows & Doors, Red Wing Canada, Fish Nova Scotia, and more, benefit from her creative and strategic approach.
The one organ crucial to success in business and life
How we can live longer, feel better and work smarter
DR. CHRISTINE SAUER,
MD, ND (GER)
Most of us strive to be successful at work or in business, but what does “success” actually mean?
Success is an imprecise, yet allencompassing word. The dictionary defines success as “the accomplishment of an aim or purpose” or “the attainment of fame, wealth, or social status.” The latter definition, financial success or fame, is what most people associate with success. But what does success mean to you?
I’ll bet that you have tried many things to improve the outcomes of your business by taking classes, courses, workshops, and seminars. And that is wonderful! But I also bet that you may have never really thought about how success applies to your physical, mental, social, and spiritual health. You many have never deeply considered how to achieve this kind of success — or considered the one organ that is crucial to true success and happiness, whether at work or in your private life.
I am, of course, talking about your brain!
You may say: “I know about the brain. I took meditation and mindfulness classes, I do yoga, I do positive thinking and read self-development books.” And that is also great! But here is the thing: most people don’t realize that your brain influences everything you are and everything you do. Brains run the stock market, businesses, countries, and the local market. Brains run relationships (sometimes into the ground). Brains connect you with the environment and your spiritual side. Brains run … you!
The overall functioning of your brain determines the quality of your decisions, and your decisions determine your success in life and work. In every moment, in everything you do, you are changing your brain and your life – for better or the worse. MRI studies have shown that your brain makes your decisions a very small fraction of time before you actually become aware of the fact that you made the decision. Neuroplasticity doesn’t refer to an abstract process; it refers to the fact that your brain adapts to all you do and changes itself constantly, even as you age.
Your brain is connected to mental, spiritual, social and financial realms, and all must be in balance. One of my mentors and teachers is Dr. Daniel Amen MD, a double board-certified psychiatrist based in the United States. You may have read one of his many New York Times bestselling books like Change Your Brain, Change Your Life. He has been using SPECT imaging for over 30 years to assess brain function and behavior associated with mental illness. And here is the good news, according to Dr. Daniel Amen: “You are not stuck with the brain you have. You can make it better. And I can prove it.”
At DocChristine, we developed the Brain Power System to help Individuals optimize their brain. Visit thebrainpowersystem.com for free training. Plus, as members of Dr. Amen’s teaching team, we are authorized to utilize Dr. Amen’s groundbreaking courses. Check them out at brainwarriors.ca. ■
We look forward to servicing the needs of our business community. Members of Halifax Chamber of Commerce and their employees currently receive 20% off our Brain Power System Program! If you have any questions, please contact us at info@DocChristine.com.
Less time in the conference room, better training
eLearning and hybrid learning in the small – medium sized business market
ROB BELLIVEAU
FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, NEONTRAIN INC. Incorporating eLearning into your training can save you time, save you money and even provide better learning outcomes.”
We’ve all been there. You most likely got up early because it’s not the typical workday. You’re going to a conference room. There are pastries and subpar coffee, or nothing at all. You’re disappointed there aren’t even mediocre snacks. Through the pandemic, we’ve had a break from experiencing training this way, but it’s also given companies time to think: is this the best way to help our people learn?
These days, most businesses, organizations, or non-profits either have training in their mandate, or they have internal training for new employees. Each year, more independent contractors provide specialized training as part of their services to clients, helping fill niche knowledge gaps. Whether it’s onboarding training, training clients based in your subject matter expertise, or issue-specific training to create the culture or growth you want at your company, we’ve all dealt with training at work, and we’ve all said to ourselves: “there has to be a better way.”
Incorporating eLearning into your training can save you time, save you money and even provide better learning outcomes. Each learner gets to go at their own pace, reviewing content as they need. We avoid the downfalls of the boardroom training session, where some are bored at the same time as others struggle to keep up. eLearning lets everyone go at their own pace and set the same foundation. When you do need an in-person, or live online session with an instructor, eLearning ensures everyone has had their time to review materials and start from a shared understanding. This combined method is called hybrid learning, where you incorporate eLearning while maintaining elements of in-person or live education. It is becoming increasingly popular in every industry.
With hybrid learning, your instructor’s time can be spent leading discussions — answering those harder questions or demonstrating hands-on skills, instead of “explaining the basics” for the 100th time. This hybrid approach has proved effective for everyone from fire fighters to charity volunteers, helping any small or medium-sized organization maximize their resources while achieving the best learning outcomes.
Once we understand the problems eLearning can solve, we still have to know how to get there. Content doesn’t create itself, and PowerPoints thrown in a shared space aren’t eLearning. This is where an external expert can transfer your knowledge into dynamic content, build it from scratch with your expert guidance, or train your team to create amazing eLearning. Many businesses have started to see how investing in customized learning solutions now will save money long-term by reducing repetitive costs for food, travel, facilitation or venue.
And we can’t ignore the work life balance that eLearning can help provide your clients. The flexibility of online learning allows people to set their own schedules, reduces stress around commuting or childcare, and lets them adapt their learning timeline to their lives. As evidenced in this past year, balance helps people bring their best to everything they do, much more than unreasonable expectations and inflexible schedules. ■
For local eLearning Solutions, contact Chamber Member NeonTrain Inc.
