Kelly McDonald Consumer Trends, Marketing and Sales Expert

Diversity in the workforce is a hot topic.   Employers are under pressure to ensure their employee base is diverse and representative of the customers they serve.  A diverse workforce has positive impact on the bottom line.  Such a workforce doesn’t just lead to better decisions and solutions and innovation - it has been proven to grow business and profits.  And a diverse workforce doesn’t just mean employees of different racial and ethnic backgrounds; it can also mean diversity of thought. 

There are numerous ways we can be “diverse”:  A new mom is in a very different place than one who is an empty nester.  Someone with a master’s degree is very different than someone who went to a vocational/technical college.  Someone who is foreign-born is different than someone who is U.S. born.  “People not like you” takes away the baggage that is often associated with the word diversity and frames the subject in a more relatable way.  We are ALL dealing with people “not like us”. 

When the people you work with are different from you, friction can arise.  They may not see eye-to-eye on an issue or have vastly different approaches to work.  Their communication styles may be very different.  Their comfort in working with technology may be miles apart.  Cultural backgrounds and norms can differ.  How do you work alongside someone who may be quite different from you, respect those differences and be effective in your role?  This session shows you how.

Learner Outcomes:

• You’ll learn why diversity at work is important, but why it seems so hard to work with people not like you. And why that makes you NORMAL, not a bad person. You’ll learn why it often comes with stress, complex emotions and even fear for some people. 
• Specific tactics will be shared for how employees can succeed in today’s diverse workplace without losing their minds or becoming frustrated by approaches to work that may differ from theirs.
• For those in leadership positions, or those who aspire to manage and lead others, three key steps to make a diverse team work more cohesively, more productively and enjoyably.
• The four key words that will transform how you interact with your colleagues and associates in tough situations to get the best outcome. How to troubleshoot the complex issues and address the “derailers” and naysayers that lurk within every organization and threaten its success.

Right now, your customers need you more than ever.  But not in the same old way.  What your customers want and expect from you now is radically different through this challenging time.  You must differentiate yourself and your organization on the experience that your customers have, rather than simply the products and services you offer. 

Right now, people feel anxious and scared – like they’re freefalling.  What they want is an experience that makes them feel SAFE.   This brings about a sense of CALM and TRUST – and that’s the foundation of your business success and how you’ll survive the next few months.

Doing business virtually poses challenges:  you may not get to meet your clients and prospects or even have the face-to-face interaction that’s so effective.  But that doesn’t mean that you can’t serve your customer in exceptional ways.

And, when the storm has passed, how do you seamlessly and QUICKLY transition back to your everyday business practices? It may not be “business as usual” or “back to normal”.  What new approaches will you keep?  What will this difficult experience have taught us that makes us better, smarter, and more effective?  And most importantly, how can you leverage new insights and changes to cement the bond with your customers for increased sales and loyalty?

This session will cover:

• How to re-engineer your solutions and approach to address the concerns your customers have right now
• How to keep selling and keep serving customers in a way that is relevant for virtual communication – without being tone deaf or insensitive
• How to stay visible without spamming your customers
• How to make virtual sales presentations helpful and EFFECTIVE
• 5 low-cost, no-cost action items that you can apply immediately
• What to do – and NOT do – when things go wrong. The 5 words that customers want to hear and that work every time
• How to prepare for the inevitable return to everyday business – it may come quickly and you need to have an action plan ready

You don’t have to be the boss to be a leader. In fact, now, more than ever, the way you approach your work, the business landscape and the very real challenges we all face define you as a leader – or someone who needs to be led. It’s time to step up and show your team, your customers and suppliers how you solve problems and keep the business moving forward.

Honesty, transparency and empathy work psychologically to calm people and make them feel safe. And when people feel safe, they get back to work. In this session, you’ll learn how to communicate those attributes in everyday business situations, while solving problems and moving the business forward. The result is a level of trust and loyalty that cannot be garnered any other way.

As if managing people weren’t difficult enough already, today’s business environment now demands that you manage the crisis and hardships at hand at the same time. In times of stress, many leaders and managers resort to a “one size fits all” approach to work. But your diverse team requires a more effective, nuanced approach now.

This session will show you how to manage your diverse team in the most effective way to tackle the hardships we face now and create a dedicated, loyal, and purpose-driven team for the future.

It’s imperative that your customers and prospects know that you’re on top of tough situations and that you have their back.

Marketing and selling need to take on a different tone now, one that is about solving problems, not trying to simply move product out the door. People spend money on what they care about. And they don’t buy products, they buy solutions. Show your customers and prospects how you fit into what they need and what they value right now, and they’ll show you the money.

By acknowledging people’s emotions, fears and anxieties, and marketing with honesty and empathy, and by just tweaking your customer approach to reflect the times, you‘ll get the business.

It's getting harder and harder to connect with others because there are so many barriers to connection. Technology is our friend, but also our enemy as we have more and more ways to filter out the information and communication we don't want. So in order to connect with someone, you must learn to tap into relevant beliefs, values or habits. And that can be hard to do when someone is different from you.

KEY POINTS:

• Participants will learn key market segmentations and the values associated with each to better understand customers and coworkers.

• Special attention will be focused upon key generational segments, African-American, Asian and Hispanic consumers and the importance of relating to different cultures.

• Attendees will learn about the Four Levels of Acculturation.

• Best practices from other franchise organizations and specific strategies will be shared to illustrate how you can better connect with others who are different from you.

Now, more than ever, it's imperative that you understand the changing demographics of the communities and groups you serve. How can you best serve a local community or organization if you don't know what your community looks like today? This presentation will focus on why changing demographics and diversity are business opportunities and how these changes affect your franchise today and tomorrow.

KEY POINTS:

• The four biggest findings from the 2010 Census and what they mean for your franchise right now.

• Key market segmentations and the values associated with each to better understand customers and coworkers.

• The differences between generational segments and how the varying wants and needs of generations impacts the service you provide.

• Common obstacles will be reviewed in order to avoid communication or service mistakes, both internally and externally.

• Specific strategies for developing effective diversity initiatives will be reviewed. Do's and don'ts will be covered.

Diversity marketing is the new norm, and this doesn't simply mean racial diversity. Diversity comes in many forms: gender, race, age, lifestage, language preference, sexuality, and hobbies or special interests are all ways in which people's differences are recognized. By recognizing these differences and tailoring your product, message or marketing efforts to reflect consumers' uniqueness, you are validating the importance of a consumer group.

KEY POINTS:

• Learn about the hottest new market segments and how they're shaping culture.

• Learn the key emotional drivers for important target segments and how your business can leverage those in marketing messages.

• Learn which group represents the largest opportunity for your business right now and which group will be your greatest opportunity tomorrow.

• Specific strategies and tactics will be discussed for identifying your high-potential prospects and reaching them effectively.

This session will show how franchise owners, brands and products struggling to differentiate themselves in a sea of sameness can foster long-term loyalty and brand preference with exceptional and customized customer service.

KEY POINTS:

• Learn the latest techniques that innovative companies are using today to train their staff to deliver exceptional customer service.

• Best practices among leading companies and brands will be reviewed.

• Learn how to listen for what a customer wants, not just what he/she may ask for.

• Learn key insights into delivering terrific customer service to the Hispanic customer.

• Specific strategies and tactics will be discussed as well as Do's and Don'ts.

What are the core capabilities for effective women’s leadership? Assertiveness is a key one, but it’s a widely misunderstood characteristic and a word with a lot of baggage, most of it negative. Some interpret it as being “bossy”; some interpret it as “standing your ground” or “speaking your mind” and some interpret it as “taking charge” or being aggressive.

Assertiveness is none of these things, yet it’s an essential skill in business and a quality that all successful leaders have. And it IS a skill – it can be developed and honed, like any other skill. Effective assertive skills manifest themselves in better negotiating tactics, stronger leadership, better team performance and higher levels of employee engagement.

Often, women who work in predominantly male industries feel pressure to perform at their peak, while also not appearing to be seen as too “domineering.” This balancing act requires women in executive roles (or rising stars at their company) to become more assertive, in order to lead effectively.

For many women, negotiating can be challenging because women tend to be “people pleasers” and often put the needs of the group (their team or your associates) before their own needs. Effective negotiating is not about “winning” – it’s about ensuring that both par- ties arrive at a place of mutual benefit. And being assertive is not at odds with teamwork – in fact, it is constructive for your team and your organization. Assertiveness is a management and performance quality that is highly charismatic and appealing.

KEY POINTS:

• The four core capabilities for effective leadership and how they can differ or manifest themselves for women executives
• Which natural characteristics women bring to work are assets and those which can be a liability if not expressed appropriately
• How to develop your assertive style in a manner that appeals, not repels
• How to communicate, empower and lead in predominantly male industries or teams
• Effective negotiating strategies that yield best outcomes for all business partners and associates

Mention the words “politically correct” and you can almost see people’s eyes roll. The words have come to mean tip-toeing around subjects, issues, phrases or people so as not to step on a landmine and offend a person or group of people. The eye roll comes from feeling so con- strained in expressing yourself that you’re not able to actually speak your mind at all.

From a work standpoint, it can also means taking the “safe” route: fear of saying the “wrong” thing to the “wrong person” in the “wrong way” can result in severe consequences, such as formal reprimand or termination.

So employees and associates stay quiet. They say nothing. But inside, they’re frustrated, exas- perated or resentful. They resent having to be “politically correct” just to stay afloat at work.

And their fear and silence mean real issues, real problems and real situations may not get dis- cussed or addressed because the topic is just too provocative.

For business, that’s not healthy. We need to be able to identify and discuss the issues that can become barriers at work or that hinder teamwork and productivity.

This session tackles what’s behind “political correctness” and how employees and associates can move past this restricting mindset to better work with each other, through all kinds of issues.

KEY POINTS:

• Why the phrase “political correctness is associated with so much negative baggage now
• How being “PC” can co-exist with freedom of speech. How you can express what you’re really thinking and feeling AND not get in trouble for it
• How to have difficult conversations respectfully and constructively
• How to communicate, empower and lead diverse teams without being bogged down by being “PC” – and without getting fired

Consumers – and their behavior – are changing at lightning speed now. The companies that stay abreast of rapidly changing consumer trends win: in business growth, loyalty and customer satisfaction.

KEY POINTS:
• consumer communication preferences
• customized service and access,
• technology and the ensuing expectations it puts on businesses (especially financial services)
• desire for simplicity
• Millennials craving for information that doesn’t make them feel stupid
• The shifting view on frequent job changes

These key macro trends affect all businesses today, but for small or independent businesses the impact is more immediate and profound. Organizations that demonstrate that they “get” their customers and “get them now” are positioned as experts and trusted guides. This presentation covers current macro consumer insights and real-world examples from successful brands and companies. Additionally, actionable, low-cost/no cost strategies will be presented so that attendees can apply what they learn right away.

SUMMARY:
Here’s a startling and provocative stat: a study by Intuit predicted that by 2020, 40% of American workers would be independent contractors. Growing numbers of Americans no longer hold a regular “job” with a long-term connection to a particular business. Instead, they work “gigs” where they are employed on a particular task or for a defined time. Borrowed from the music industry, the word “gig” has been applied to all sorts of flexible employment, including “contingent labor,” “temp labor,” or “contract labor”. While this flexibility is appealing to many workers, it often means that the gig employee has little connection to their employer. That’s not ideal for companies and organizations that need to differentiate themselves and demonstrate value to their customers like never before.

Gig employees tend to be younger workers and are typically very different from past generations of workers. They’re driven by different goals and values and their approach to work differs from that of previous generations in almost every way. They’re utterly bewildering to experienced managers trying to groom them into the leaders and managers of tomorrow.

There are numerous industries in dire need of new talent – now. In the next 10 years, more than 50 million Americans will exit the work force permanently for retirement or semi-retirement. There will be a scramble for good workers and great talent.

Whether your new hires and future employees are gig employees or not, you need to know how to find and recruit the best so that your brand survives and flourishes. And you need to know how to keep them and develop them once you’ve hired and trained them.

Many industries have not done a great job of making their field attractive to new workers. You’ll learn what turns younger workers off about a company or an industry and how to address these issues to position your company competitively against other competing and attractive professional opportunities.

This session will focus on key values of gig employees and younger workers and how you can harness their talent, ambition, skills and loyalty to generate high performance, today and tomorrow.

KEY LEARNING:
• Participants will learn what younger and gig workers look for in a position to have a framework
for better understanding these coworkers and employees
• You’ll get the inside scoop on what these associates tell each other about jobs and careers
(they believe they have to change jobs every two years to grow and learn) and how
to proactively address the fallacies they hold to improve retention
• Best practices and specific strategies from top organizations in the electrical distribution
industry (from both manufacturer and distributor sides) will be shared to illustrate how you
can better recruit, hire, train and retain these workers and develop them
• Interactive exercises will foster discussion and solutions as audience members get to
apply what they’ve learned to their own, specific recruiting and hiring situations

Women today are different from every previous generation. They’re busy. Whether they work outside the home or not, they work long and hard to manage their households and the well-being of their family. For brands and companies, cultivating this important consumer segment means big bucks and fierce loyalty if you reach them with relevance.

But that can seem difficult to do. Women today don’t watch much TV or listen to the radio. They can’t be reached through traditional marketing channels – they’re simply not there. They spend considerable time online and are tightly linked to their social network community. They are skeptical of hyperbole and marketing “promises”.

But they listen to and respect the companies, brands, products and services that meet their needs and market to them by building relationships with them. And they listen to other women.

It’s key to understand what women want: they are more selective than ever about who they do business with and how they spend their money. Women and moms make 80% of the pur- chase decisions for U.S. households. (Some say it’s closer to 100%)

This session will show you exactly how to effectively tap into this large, lucrative and loyal market.

KEY POINTS:

• Learn why women are so influential in the purchase process and how to satisfy their criteria and retain them as loyal customers
• Key values of women – and moms - and their media consumption habits will be reviewed
• Learn how companies and brands are harnessing the power of the women bloggers and influencers to grow their business in low-cost and no-cost ways
• Key social media tools will be reviewed, with best practices shared from companies that are successfully using them to win over women
• It’s not just about marketing and selling to women - the customer experience for women will also be dissected, with do’s and don’ts covered in detail

Matures. Boomers. Gen X. Gen Y. Gen Z. Or are they called Millennials? Why is Gen X called "X"? What is a “digital native”?

Why don't Boomers realize there's more to life than work? And why don't Millennials realize that their 5:00 pm yoga class does not take precedence over a client deadline? What hap- pened to "paying your dues"? Why doesn't my supervisor praise me and appreciate me for all the great things I do every day?

These questions are being asked and grumbled about in every office everywhere in the country. Any time two or more generations work side by side, there are going to be potential differences in the approach to work and collaboration. But never have the differences be- tween these generations been so profoundly marked as they are now. Why? And more im- portantly, how do you learn to work with someone who has such a different approach to work, not to mention their values and priorities?

This presentation focuses on key generational differences and how you can work effectively with someone much older or younger than you - and enjoy it!

• Participants will learn the 5 generations and the experiences that have shaped and defined them in meaningful
• Specific examples will be provided on how different generations can come together to better serve your company, both internally {employees) and externally (with clients).
• Specific strategies for developing effective diversity initiatives will be reviewed. Do's and don'ts will be

Most people know that social media and social marketing are great for building relationships with customers and prospects online and for marketing your products and services in a low cost or no-cost manner.

But few people realize the power of social media when it comes to the bad stuff: what hap- pens when you've had a security breach or other crisis? Should you be communicating with your customers via social media during a time of crisis? For serious matters, is social media an appropriate environment for handling urgent, sensitive and disastrous matters?

This session will focus on how social media & communications can be used to handle a crisis effectively. It's not just about trying to smooth things over with customers when they are upset or concerned about something. Today, information is shared quickly and widely, and bad news and bad information travel fastest of all.

Learn the ropes of how to use social media platforms effectively and correctly, to not only handle a crisis, but also to come out on the other side with improved customer satisfaction and positive public relations.

KEY POINTS:

• Participants will learn how and why disasters seem larger in scope in social media com- munications than they actually
• Attendees will learn exactly what to do - and not do - in a crisis and what to post - and not post. Frequency of posts will be reviewed as
• What about your senior management? What do you do if your boss is not on board with having online conversation about a disaster with your customers? This session will walk you through key steps to review with your management team before a disaster or crisis

Everyone has heard of social media and social marketing, and most everyone knows at least a little something about Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. But there is tremendous confusion about how to use these tools for business marketing. Sure, you may use Facebook to share your vacation pictures with friends, but how are you supposed to use it to market your busi- ness? And what kind of "tweets" is a company supposed to send out on Twitter? And more importantly, why? Who follows this stuff, anyway? Who is the audience and what's the best way to reach them?

This session will focus on how social media & marketing can be your new best friend: with so much pressure on marketing budgets, social media & marketing is a dream come true, be- cause it costs little or nothing to execute. But you've got to learn the ropes of how to do it ef- fectively and correctly, to truly reach new & existing customers with relevance.

KEY POINTS:

• Participants will learn the key differences between the core social media avenues: Face- book, Instagram, LinkedIn and
• Attendees will learn why and how social media posts need to differ from the information that's on your company's
• There's a social media etiquette that you need to know. The online community is very for- giving of novices and initial mistakes, but you are expected to learn the etiquette and adhere to it. Specific do's and don'ts will be covered in
• Where does blogging fit in? And why does my company need a blog? Who should be re- sponsible for it? And where on earth will I find the time to write blog entries?
• Best practices and specific strategies will be shared to illustrate how companies and or- ganizations are using these powerful tools to grow business and deepen

So, you're blogging, tweeting and posting away and your fan base and followers are grow- ing accordingly. Now what? What are the next steps in social media? How do you monetize it, track it and keep it growing?

This session will focus on how to use social media to build your brand and elevate your B2B marketing. The social media landscape is changing fast and new tools are entering the pic- ture that make consumer connection, dialogue and purchase influences easier and better than ever. This session will cover key tips on what's new in social media marketing as well as best practices and top tips to try. Along the way, a few social media marketing myths will also be shattered.

KEY POINTS:

• Participants will learn the latest developments in social media marketing: actionable strategies and tactics that you can implement
• Attendees will learn what other successful NAED members are doing in the social media sphere and how it's
• The latest tools and apps will be covered as well as how specific tools, such as iPads, are being used to close sales and enhance customer
• Best practices and specific strategies will be shared to illustrate how companies and or- ganizations are using these powerful tools to grow business and deepen
• A look at the horizon and what's coming will also be

Marketing your product, service and yourself is vital to growing business. But exactly how does one do this effectively? How can the average small business market itself with limited dollars, yet achieve maximum results?

This session will focus on what you need to know to effectively build a solid advertising and marketing plan.

KEY POINTS:

• The core media options and strengths and weaknesses of each
• Social Media & Marketing - what it is and how to use it effectively
• What to expect to pay for media purchases
• How to handle the production of a message
• Effective internet marketing techniques
• Tips for identifying your unique selling
• Do's and don'ts will be covered. Particular attention will be paid to low-cost or no-cost advertising approaches

It's getting harder and harder to connect with others because there are so many barriers

to connection. Technology is our friend, but also our enemy as we have more and more ways to filter out the information and communication we don't want. So in order to connect with someone, you must learn to tap into relevant beliefs, values or habits. And that can be hard to do when someone is different from you.

This presentation will focus on key diverse market segments, emerging market segments, and how major companies are learning to penetrate these groups, either internally or as customer base expansion, to form deep and lasting connections.

Attendees will learn why diversity is a real opportunity- and how you can grow your relation- ships by better understanding your neighbors, co-workers, your customers and the community in which you live and work, today and tomorrow.

KEY POINTS:

• Participants will learn key market segmentations and the values associated with each to better understand customers and
• Special attention will be focused upon key generational segments, African-American, Asian and Hispanic consumers and the importance of relating to different
• Attendees will learn about the Four Levels of
• Best practices from other organizations and specific strategies will be shared to illus- trate how you can better connect with others who are different from

The U.S. population is increasingly diverse, and in some industries, the composition of the workforce is 70% minority. This shift in demographics is a permanent one and brings many changes to our society and our workforce. These changes also bring unique challenges to employers and workers as values sometimes differ between various cultures.

Among Hispanics, the largest ethnic minority in the U.S., values and customs often differ depending on country of origin and level of acculturation. Learning the key differences in values and cultural expectations among different Hispanic segments can help your busi- ness attract, recruit and retain the best employees.

This presentation will focus on how you can best reach and retain diverse workers by un- derstanding varying levels of acculturation, differences in values, and how to increase productivity and retention among your diverse workforce.

KEY POINTS:

• Learn the core values of various cultures and how understanding these values will help you connect with your employees and co-workers in a meaningful
• Learn the Four Latino Mindsets and how each views and prioritizes work, family leisure time, and
• Learn how some employers are using innovative strategies to recruit and retain the most effective
• Do's and Don'ts are covered in

The U.S. Census reveals that there are now more than 50 million Latinos residing in the U.S., and that Latinos are now the largest minority group in the country. By the year 2020, Latinos will account for one in five U.S. residents. Virtually every major brand, product and service is scrambling to learn how to tap into this large, lucrative and growing consumer base.

Cultivating the Latino consumer will help you grow your business, today and in years to come. But it requires more than just translating a message into Spanish: you'll need to know which is the right Latino customer for you and how to connect with this consumer emotionally, ratio- nally and culturally. Attendees will leave with specific strategies and tactics for developing ef- fective marketing messages targeted specifically to the Latino market.

KEY POINTS:

• Learn about the "Latinization of America" - how the exploding Hispanic population is shaping our society and culture: our music, our food, our entertainment, media and
• Learn about the "size of the prize" - the scope of opportunity that the Latino market pres- ents today and projections for the near future. Retail stats will be covered in
• Learn the Four Latino Mindsets and how to identify which is the right target for your com- pany's products/services. Best practices will be shared from other retail companies that are successfully marketing to
• Understand the 5 F's of Latino culture, and how to develop marketing messages that re- flect these cornerstones of Latin
• Learn the 6 most common mistakes made in Latino marketing and how to avoid Do's and Don'ts will be covered in detail.