This week it is our pleasure to present a great blog from one of co-conspirators Jack Signorelli of Soundview Advice. Jack plays an integral part in helping build the back end side of things here at GB, but also has a great mind for marketing. Here is his take on the unfortunate death of James Gandolfini.

James Gandolfini passed away suddenly last week at only 51 years of age. Known mostly for his role as Tony Soprano, while tragic, isn’t the public reaction to his death interesting?

Why is it that an actor can command such attention and adulation for playing a role they didn’t create or write? The Governor showing up at his funeral mass? All of the flags in NJ at half staff? Why?

Here are some of my observations:

• Lesson #1: Video is so powerful that people who have never met you will think they know you.
• Lesson #2: Video connects with people emotionally.
• Lesson #3: Video portrays a “trust factor” that the written word can’t match.
• Lesson #4: Video can even create the feeling of “Love”!

As Business Owners how can we use this knowledge to our benefit? If your new business clients come mostly from referrals than you know that a referral is simply a recommendation from a trusted source. That most of your prospects become clients only after they have met you, looked into your face, and shaken your hand. If you’re like most of us you only have time to do that, at most, just a few times a day.

Studies show that within 15 seconds of meeting someone we decide if we are going to do business with them. Since the beginning of time we have relied on our vision to assess situations. Risk, friend or foe, fight or flight. Why should we expect marketing to be any different?

But what if you could create an “electronic handshake”? Think about the power of a vision. If you could create a video that was seen by your prospects many more times a day. A video that touches people emotionally, creating trust, just like a referral, how many more clients would you have? Then add video testimonials!

If you sell by developing trust then get all that verbiage out of your marketing. Newsflash: No one reads it! Look to photo’s and video to brand yourself as a trusted source and watch your marketing $ start to give you a real ROI!

Jack Signorelli is a Certified Business Coach. His career spanned 27 years in Corporate America with companies like Xerox, Wang, and culminating as VP of Sales and then President of Konica Office Products, (now Konica Minolta), an $Billion International Fortune 200 manufacturer and distributer of office products and services with more than 1200 employees. Jack retired at age 50 and now owns two businesses. He has been providing practical advice to business leaders and companies, in all industry segments, throughout the U.S.. Visit Soundview Advice at www.sondviewadvice.com