If you want your community to recognize your extraordinary level of service, work on exceeding your clients’ expectations every day. In today’s competitive environment, you know what that means: going above and beyond the standard level of quality and service to truly differentiate yourself. People choose to do business with those they know, like and trust. Businesses that create trust through delivering even more than promised will be the winners in the competition for consumer choice.

My family recently traveled to Monterey, staying at the Hotel Abrego, accommodations I’d found online. The website looked inviting, and I found positive reviews at Travelocity – but I always experience a bit of stress as the family travel agent when booking a new hotel.

The front desk staff member eased by trepidations with a warm welcome once we arrived, and then she proceeded to exceed my expectations by saying the magical words, “We’re upgrading you – to fireplace rooms.” Now for all I know, the vast majority of their rooms may have fireplaces, but I didn’t expect the upgrade. Our family group all were thrilled with our fireplaces during several days of cold and intermittently rainy weather in Monterey.

The front desk representative even went further win our undying devotion by giving us a card for a complimentary glass of wine with our appetizer order in the hotel’s restaurant-bar. We were famished after our long drive, so we hungrily made a beeline back to the restaurant after we checked in to enjoy a free glass of wine and some hors d’oeuvres.

Whatever your business, your statement of value and purpose should support your exceptional service. Make your statement specific to your service and the customer group you serve or want to serve. My new favorite Monterey hotel states on its homepage that it is “Monterey’s newest, uniquely designed 93-room, full-service boutique hotel providing an exceptional value and a refreshing Monterey experience in a playful, relaxing, inviting environment” – all true, and, even better, exceeded in reality.

An accounting firm might develop a statement such as “Northern Nevada’s most trusted business advisory and accounting firm, focusing on solving the most complex business challenges for small to mid-sized enterprises.” Make the statement part of your website banner on every page, your business cards, letterhead, brochures and other collaterals.

Amplify your value by providing content around your expertise. Use social media for cost-effective communication of your value: website-based blogging, LinkedIn, Twitter, podcasts and videos. Send out monthly enewsletters to your contact list. Give away white papers if you speak or offer seminars. Your tactic choices are endless and should be suited to your priority current and future clients. As a trusted business, you are perfectly positioned to provide content that is by definition of high value, reliable and, if consistently communicated, will launch your brand to new heights in 2011.

1. Smiling faces: Before you start talking, take a deep breath, smile and think of something funny to give yourself an internal laugh and help you relax. While you speak, your face should match your topic. Using a variety of expressions as you make your points will engage your viewers.

2. Your new best friend: If you’re speaking directly to the camera (rather than being interviewed by someone), make the camera the face of your best friend (or spouse or mom – someone who loves you unconditionally) in your imagination. This will help to make you more conversational and natural.

3. Power of three: Be prepared with three key points that you want to make. Make some notes in writing before you begin, but put them away before you start. Writing will help establish your points and a natural flow in your mind. A good construction is:
o Open with a problem or question
o Describe the solution
o Finish with a story to illustrate the point

4. Timing is everything: Keep your primary three points or segments to about 30 seconds to a minute each; online videos generally are more successful and frequently viewed when they are less than three minutes in length. Don’t memorize material, but keep your important facts and brief anecdotes in mind. Stories and examples bring more life to your points. Ideally, an interview should be an educated, engaging conversation.

5. Slow down. You’ve heard this before, but the idea of slowing down and enunciating your words applies particularly well in video, a medium which magnifies slushy speech. If you take a breath and slow down, you can think about what you’re going to say clearly and distinctly, and you’ll be less likely to use the dreaded filler words: uh, umm, so, like, you know, right? Right!

6. Eye signals: Eye contact is a sign of confidence and social engagement. Regardless of whether you’re being interviewed or looking at the camera, keep a natural eye contact, avoiding glancing down or to the side.

7. Body language: Watch people who are interviewed on national news programs, morning and evening. Notice what makes people look and sound credible and convincing. Watch body language. You’ll observe that engaging interviewees often lean forward a bit and have an open body position, arms not crossed defensively but relaxed at their sides or, if seated, on their legs, overlapping a bit. Crossing legs at the ankle if seated will help improve posture. If standing, keep knees a bit flexed and one leg slightly ahead of the other to help prevent swaying from side to side – or fainting.

8. What not to wear: The boundaries of dress considered business-presentable have expanded in recent years. If you’re unsure, it’s better to err on the side of formality. For women, that means a tailored blazer or shirt; save tight knits or party looks for another occasion. You want your clothes to say, “I’m a competent professional,” not to distract. For men, a suit or blazer and shirt with tie are almost always the right choice, but if you don’t wear a tie, go with a tailored shirt or shirt and blazer. Solid colors are best for everyone. Avoid prints and stripes (except for ties). Avoid black and white, as well, which don’t look as good on camera as color.

9. Finishing touches: Women should always wear makeup; outdoor light and bright indoor lights can have a bleaching effect. Men should consider powder to eliminate shine – including top of the head! Women should avoid shiny earrings or those that move and bracelets that jangle, which can be a distraction.

10. Keep smiling: When you’re finished, keep smiling for a few seconds. This will allow for a good concluding edit.

Remember, you are the expert! You know your material. Treat the video interview as a valuable opportunity to bring important information to potential customers that you may not even be able to imagine now. Relax, smile and share your knowledge!

Online communities are succeeding by communicating authenticity and real value in those connections, defined by University of Nevada business professor and prolific blogger Dr. Bret Simmons in his personal branding blog as “what you do uniquely to help others address an opportunity or solve a problem that matters to them.”

Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn aren’t alone in this endeavor; more websites are interactively fostering communities around diverse interests. A few examples:

In a recent public social media forum organized by Dr. Simmons at the University of Nevada, panelist Carmel Papworth-Barnum discussed her women’s running website’s focus on offering information important to women runners, whether just beginning or serious competitors. Her site resonates with women because it is about women, she said, not just about champions. She said, “I want to be inclusive.” Papworth-Barnum views her community as a way to encourage and promote women running and women runners. She’s authentically addressing the opportunity to encourage more women to have confidence in their ability to become fit and find joy through running.

A community doesn’t necessarily need to save the world – some just make it tastier. Kristy Crabtree, Reno web designer, strategist and passionate outdoorswoman, recently launched a unique Nevada Foodies site. Subtitled “A collection of big game recipes,” the site uses attractive blog formating for intriguing recipes and enticing food photos that Crabtree takes using her Canon Eos or iPhone. She also includes interesting shots from Nevada wilderness hunts. Her elk sausage and carmelized root vegetables recipe begins, “Food is like a song to me… it’s always a memory of a time or a place. And in most cases, it’s a good memory.” Hunters and their families who are looking for new game recipes – as well as some inspiration – are sure to find value in this community.

Sites with commercial aspects also can be authentically supportive of community. An educator, author, speaker and coach, Meggin McIntosh, PhD, is a former college professor whose trademark as The Ph.D. of Productivity™ is well earned. Her Emphasis on Excellence website brims with free downloadable posters and postings such as “8 Signs to Remind you How to Say No,” and “15 ideas to implement immediately to overcome reading overwhelm.” Visitors may order products and services such software, timers and webinars, but the site provides plenty of no-cost solutions to the productivity barriers that can stop all of us in our tracks – as well as opportunity to join a like-minded community of people who are “seeking ways to become peacefully (and predictably) productive.”

As we blog or simply go about our business in the world, we could all be guided by purposefully communicating what we do to “uniquely help others address an opportunity or solve a problem that matters to them.” What’s your purpose — and how are you communicating it today?