 Gary Johnson, of Black Men in America.com
I've been a featured contributor on Gary's site, www.blackmeninamerica.com for well over a year now, and I thought who better to talk about this subject than him?
Gary—an experienced entrepreneur—shares with us how he runs his male-based website, talks about the joys of calling your own shots, and help answers the question: What makes men click online?
1. Tell me about yourself/ about your business?
I was born in Washington, D.C. and went to D.C. public schools. My parents were working folks and I guess that gave me the foundation to work. I came from a family where everyone had a business on the side. It was second nature. My main business is training and consulting through the Gary A. Johnson Company (www.garyjohnsoncompany.com). The company provides human resources and multicultural training to Fortune 500 companies and the government. My pride and joy is Black Men In America.com (www.blackmeninamerica.com). I've had the concept for Black Men In America.com since 1995. In January 2001, I developed the site in my basement and launched it on the Internet. The site has exceeded my expectations and is growing every day.
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2. What motivated you to start your business?
I’ll give you the short answer. By all standards I had a great career
working for the federal government. I was young and making good money. However, after 18 years I knew that I would have to quit, because I hated taking orders from folks who I believed knew less than I did. I also got tired of some of my bosses not even considering any of my ideas. I guess I was ahead of my time.
3. What is your favorite marketing tactic?
Wow! That's a great question. A lot of people have told me that I'm a great marketer. I think when it comes to marketing, I'm "unconsciously competent." In other words, I don't know how good I am. I just do it. I would have to say that my favorite marketing tactic is to keep things simple. There's very little out here that's new. I try to identify a need and develop a strategy to meet that need. A good example is Black Men In America.com. I know that sex sells. I agonized over putting modeling links on the site, but decided to do it, because I knew that men would visit the site to look at the women. When I put modeling links and interviews with models on the site, my site statistics doubled in 3 days. Fifty percent of all site visitors to Black Men In America.com start with the Modeling pages and then navigate to other content areas of the site. If that's what I have to do to get men exposed to other issues, then so be it. I have strict rules against pornography. I guess I'm as close to the edge as I can get without falling off. I also put content on the site that would interest women. LaDawn Black (relationship advice), Melanie Marchand (fitness), Shellie Warren (commentary) and others make the site appealing to women. That's my strategy.
4. How do you think marketing to men differs from marketing to women? What are key strategies that you think appeal to men more?
My experience has reflected that there's not much of a difference
if you know your audience. I have a niche market with my site -- black men. I have a pretty good grasp on that. That is not to say that I know everything there is to know about black men, but generally speaking I think I have a good sense of that market. I also think it depends on the product or service that you are trying to market. For example, men tend to be more laid back when it comes to registering for social events. Women will learn about a social event 2-3 weeks in advance and will make up their mind to attend immediately or within a few hours that day. Men will learn about the same event and will register the day before the event or show up at the door. This doesn't hold true for all men and women, but this is a trend that we see for most of our social events. As for key strategies that I think appeal to men? In short, SEX. In the end, I think the key to successfully marketing to men and women is knowing as much about each group as you can.
5. What's your best business advice for someone starting out?
Believe in yourself and be willing to work. Image and attitude are
EVERYTHING in business. You have to convey a belief that you are competent and can get the job done. My personal philosophy is that no one will out work me. I work hard to make it look easy.
6. When transitioning from steady job to starting your own business, how do you manage the stress of no longer having the security of paid vacations, sick days, etc.?
I had a plan before I left my job. I also had faith and the support of my wife. Knowing that my wife believed in me made the transition smoother. The biggest adjustment was not getting a steady paycheck every two weeks. I've never regretted quitting my job. The quality of my life increased and the money, albeit inconsistent, is there to be made. For me, the independence of self-employment is the best.
7. Now that you have your own business and you are the driving force behind the creativity, how do you handle the accounting, HR and the finance issues?
Business has always been a part of my life. I've worked since I was 14 years old. I've owned candy machines, video game machines, pumped gas, drove limos and cut grass. I put myself through school and my major in college was Organizational Management. When you work for yourself, you have to be disciplined to get up and do the things that need to be done, even when you don’t want to. The other key to success is to minimize the pressure that people often put on themselves. For example, I don’t feel like I have to know everything and do everything. All I have to do is surround myself with smart people who I can trust. In the end, I'm responsible. Remember, I told you that no one will out work me, so I make it my business to know enough so that folks can't take advantage of me.
8. How do you manage the time constraints and stay organized?
I’m very disciplined and organized. I work harder now than I did when I had a job. I love what I do, so it doesn’t seem like work. Time is important. I'm happily married and have two teenage young men. When I quit my job I stayed at home for a year with the kids. They were seven and three years old. I’ve pretty much been a stay at home Dad since then. After I take the kids to school, I go to my office, which is six miles away in the next town. After school I go home, start dinner and spend time with the family. On many nights, I work after everyone has gone to bed. I will work until 1:00 am several times a week. I don’t need much sleep and I try to exercise consistently, but that doesn’t always happen.
For more information on Gary Johnson, check out his websites: www.blackmeninamerica.com www.garyjohnsoncompany.com
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It's Not All about the Cleavage! Or is It?
Times are a changin'! More women today work outside the home, earn (and control) significant amounts of money, and make large, important purchases like houses, automobiles and computers. In the past, advertising portrayed such independence as being primarily characteristic of men. But there has been an interesting role reversal where more men are involved with cooking, cleaning, laundry and childcare. (I know some of you ladies reading this don't believe me, but they are really out there!) LOL
Interestingly enough, the male consumer — whether married or single — seems to be shopping alone. And not all of them shop alike. According to NPD group, a market research firm, more than 45% of menswear sold in the U.S. last year were sold to men who were shopping without women, compared to 26% in 2000.
What kind of male buyer is your target market?
Alan Katz, publisher of the new men's shopping magazine "Cargo", said that their research found three different types of male buyers.
* The enthusiast, who buys a lot across all categories, and is the first to embrace the latest trends.
* The focused buyer, who does a lot of research, but buys in only a few categories.
* The guided buyer, who looks to publications, friends, girlfriends or his wife to tell him what to buy.
SOME FACTS ABOUT MALE CONSUMERS:
Here are some key tips to be familiar with when understanding the male market.
Ain't He Pretty?
They're spending more and more time in front of a mirror, spritizing(This is not a word.) their bodies, styling and coloring their hair, 15-year-old teenage girls, you ask? No, boys and young men are leading a grooming revolution that has fueled a 2.1 billion dollar industry, and one that is poised to grow in the next five years.
Cut to the Chase!
Tell them, you don't have to show as much. Women have been proven to be more visual creatures. Men want the facts! List the benefits and features rather than showing lots of pictures.
It's fine to have graphics, but make sure the details stand out first, so
that the details are put into a context that makes them easier to relate to. Remember men give directions by using street names; women give directions by using landmarks. It's amazing, but it's true. Please, I can't tell my East from my West most of the time, but I'll know if the store is next to McDonalds and the Big Green Building!
Sell Them with Features (revisits the idea about cutting to the chase)
A terrific example is research done by the Center for Women's Business Research and IBM that identified differences in how men and women business owners buy technology. Both wanted a fair price, but men were more concerned with processing power (How fast is it? How much memory? etc.). Women were primarily concerned with ease of use (How easy is it to get this up and running? How easy is it to use? Will someone help me if I have problems?)
Find out more!
-See what research already exists on this topic. I just opened the door, but there's so much more out there.Get to Googlin' for starters ( www.google.com)
-Tailor your benefits copy to recognize that men and women make decisions differently. For example, it's been said that women prefer to make decisions based on consensus, more so than men.
-Lastly, don’t obsess over this guys, it’s more important to make sure the advantages and benefits of your product are well positioned and communicated, no matter what the demographics of your audience. Good luck and if all else fails…get the girl with the pursed lips to help you out with a photo. Okay, okay, that was a cheap shot, I'm just kidding guys. ~cracking up~ Please no hate mail!
MALEvolence in Technology
by Lena L. West
I'm upset. Why? Well, because I personally know a lot of serious,
committed business women and it seems (at least right now it does) that it just gets harder and harder for women to be taken seriously in a business setting. Below is an excerpt of an actual conversation I had with a male colleague (not friend). The colleague’s name and details of the conversation have been changed to protect his anonymity (ok, and I don't want to get sued either!) but, his identity is not important. Here's what is: Sometimes - even if we don't agree - we should just take a few brief moments to examine a different point of view and check ourselves just so we know.
Lena: So, how's business, Ted?
Ted: Business is great. But…well, you know…I’m having a tough go at it in finding a consultant for this software development project.
Lena: Really, why’s that? I heard you received a ton of responses. There's gotta be someone who's qualified.
Ted: Well, ok, there is…are. But, they're all, you know…
Lena: Uhh, no…
Ted: Well, I don’t want you to take this the wrong way. I can be straight with you right?
Lena: Well I’d prefer that you be Ted (laugh) but, ok…shoot.
Ted: The only ones qualified to do the work are women-owned companies.
Lena: Okkkkk…and?
Ted: Well, it's just that…and no offense…I don’t want to deal with that.
Lena: With what? Women?
Ted: Well, yeah. It’s a lot. And it always gets complicated.
Lena: (trying not to lose it) What do you mean?
Ted: Ok, here's the deal. It's like you're cool, ok? But, some women
aren’t. They come into meetings and start talking about their kids - or
their divorce - or their boyfriends. If it's not that, they take everything
personally. And, then they cry. I've seen some women cry right in
meetings! I don't want to deal with that…I just want someone who can do the work. Or, they dress provocatively. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I'm not saying it’s not good to look at but in the office??? It REALLY makes me uncomfortable. Why don't they, you know, cover up?!?! I don't need sexual harassment hanging over my head. Or, they get on the phone with their kids and start in with REALLY loud baby talk! Or, they feel like they have to right every single wrong anyone has ever done to women. I just can’t deal with the constant attitude. I can't sit through another 16-month project, thinking "When is this attitude going to be over?"
Sharing my reply will only skew your ability to "see the forest for the trees". But, I’ll tell you this, at first, I was offended. Then I decided to do my own research. At the next meeting I attended, I took a good look around (self included) to see if I could spot any ‘offenders’. Are all women really yammering, babbling, kid-and-husband-crazed, cleavage-advertising divas? The results of my ‘research’? Well, I won't share that here either but I did want to share this snippet of my conversation with you. Just so you know…and knowing is half the battle.
Lena L. West is the Founder & CEO of xynoMedia Technology, a technology consulting firm that specializes in helping small businesses leverage technology to maximize growth and minimize risk. Her mission is helping more women to make technology their future. She can be reached at LWest@xynoMedia.com
© 2004 Lena L. West. All rights reserved.
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