Change the discussion and other lessons from NAID 2012

It is always gratifying to see secure destruction professionals taking positive action based on what they learned at the annual NAID conference. Therefore, you can imagine how pleased I am to see so many of this year’s attendees doing just that. Actually, I have never seen this level of enthusiasm and activity spawned after a single NAID event. I attribute this activity to several themes woven throughout key presentations. Obviously, the messages got through.

Personal responsibility for success: This year’s main keynote speaker, Jeffrey Gitomer, didn’t leave any room for excuses. He made it clear that blaming competitors, paper prices, fuel costs or customer apathy for a company’s problems is nothing but a smoke screen for lazy sales and marketing. Luckily, Gitomer also gave many examples of sales and marketing techniques that work, but he was clear that it takes hard work, discipline and thought to do it right.

Developing your personal brand: Similarly, Tom Adams’ keynote, which followed the theme of his new best seller, You are the Logo, brilliantly described how a business owner’s personal brand is critical to the success of his or her business. By defining how a well-established, personal brand is the antidote to the commodity trap business, Adams’ message was perfectly harmonized with Gitomer’s. Because Adams approached the subject with such a clear, specific and unique strategy, his talk actually complemented Gitomer’s message rather than repeating it.

Social media, social media and social media: The emerging role of social media was the specific subject of a great session by Jeff Green, but it was also interwoven into both keynote addresses and a number of other breakout sessions. Further, social media was framed as being so well suited for building a personal and company brand, its importance was exemplified by Adams’ and Gitomer’s emphasis on branding.

Change the discussion: Gitomer, Adams, Green and Ray Barry had a universal theme in their presentations. They all said, in one form or another, if the conversation is only about shredding, then you’re bound to fall into the commodity trap. Instead, secure destruction professionals need to lead with education, superior qualifications, compliance tools, friendship, humor and value ahead of the sale.

Those attending the NAID 2012 Annual Conference heard it all first hand, and from all appearances attendees are putting it into practice. And, NAID will be working hard to keep those messages alive for those who could not attend.

Bob Johnson is CEO of the National Association for Information Destruction, based in Phoenix. He can be reached at rjohnson@naidonline.org.