When I buy food storage containers, I buy not for myself, but for my family and friends. That is where they will end up anyway. For the longest time I spent money to get nice containers from Rubbermaid. My family and friends bought the cheap Glad containers. My cabinets are now full of cheap containers and theirs are full of expensive containers.
Who is the fool?
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
I know what “The Next Big Thing” is going to be!
Facebook is close but they are not honing in on what the masses really want. People want their own network and a platform that is more refined and simplified than Google Wave; a platform with several layers of participation. Right now you are either private or public and that is not enough.
How many of your “friends” on Facebook would you invite to your wedding, which ones would you have a cocktail with, and which ones are you careful not to say too much to? Wouldn’t it be great to allow a different level of participation for each of these groups?
How about work friends? Do you really want them to see the same post as your closest friends?
Hell no!
The next big thing will be a platform that allows you to do all of these things. I click a button for level 1-5 before I post up. Only the appropriate group will see what I want them to see.
Level 1 - closest friends
Level 2 - general friends
Level 3 - Co-workers
Level 4 - Your City or region only
Level 5 - Everyone on the web
Hey Google…You have my voice number, call me; I can help you.You have all the tools; they are just assembled wrong.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
It wasn't convenient
I was running a little low on cash on my way home last night so I dug out a hand full of quarters, dimes and nickels from the stash I keep in the glove box. I wanted a soda and a hotdog.
The gas station was clean giving me the feeling it would be an alright place to shop. To cut the story short...the lady behind the counter grimaced, rolled her eyes and said "don't you have any cash"?
I explained to her the quarters, dimes, and nickels were cash. I picked up my change and walked out.
The loose change was inconvenient to her. The owner of the store surely wanted my money and the profit that came with it.
How do your employees treat your customer when it is inconvenient to smile and be helpful?
Thursday, August 26, 2010
No Marketing Budget?
Car salesmen are famous for asking what’s in your budget when you buy a car. Hospitals ask what is in your budget when they want to know about your health insurance. Budgets are important not for what they include but for what they don’t.
My business is primarily online and offline marketing for SMBs. I have chosen this line of work because it is so needed. All of my clients know this or they wouldn’t be my clients.
When I interview a potential client, one of my first questions is “what amount or percentage of sales have you designated to increase sales”. All too often I get a blank stare. When they finally do come up with a number, I ask my second question. “How often can you dedicate that amount to increasing sales”.
Those two questions tell me everything I need to know.
· Is it worth going any further with this meeting?
· Do you look at marketing as an expense or an investment?
· Have you built a marketing budget into your selling price?
If I receive an answer such as: I am big into networking, then they have created more questions for me.
Do you network because you want to keep your operation local? (This is understandable for many businesses like hair salons and insurance companies.)
If the answer is no, I ask: Is it because you love that hour or two away from the office when you can meet people and socialize? (The answer is always yes)
My last question is: Would you still network if your business doubled or tripled?
The answer to the last question tells me their real intent in networking.
Networking has its merits. It is a wonderful institution for anyone who has determined their address on easy street. It is the address where satisfaction has been achieved and dreams are no longer needed.
By setting a marketing budget and investing in your company you will never have to settle for any particular address. You will always be on the move.
Galen
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