How to celebrate a good business and personal week

It has been a good week. On the business side, my wife Sally and I just signed up with a group called Pre Paid Legal. We will marketing their services which include protection from identity theft along with affordable access to legal counsel. Similar in concept to CAA: provides peace of mind.

Also on the business front, concluded my first sale for alteredperceptioninc, the talented design studio I am working for in sales and marketing. Feels good.

And still in business, completed the script for my presentation, "How to maximize your marketing in turbulent times". Lots of interest from local Chamber of Commerce and Business Improvement Areas (BIA's).

On the personal side, found out that Sally has a great head for business! She came up with the plan for us to work together on all of our multiple streams of income activities! She is a tough taskmaster and I told her as long as she keeps me presenting to groups, things will go great.

Had a great run in really mild conditions this morning. Finally. Serious training has now begun for my Reggae Marathon in Negril this December.

And also on the personal side, I checked out the blog postings on http://www.dailychallenge.org/blog/. This is a business run by a great group of young people who think they can change the world one deed at a time. I support them wholeheartedly.

This has been a great week to celebrate...now on to the Birthday weekend :)

How one GM Dealer goes about his business in Orillia

Good business people ask themselves one key question every day, “What am I going to do today to add value to this business”. I came across a very good example of a local businessman in Orillia, Jim Wilson who runs Jim Wilson Chevrolet Pontiac Buick GMC http://www.jimwilsonchevrolet.com/.

Jim has oil in his veins having grown up in the business. His current location right off the highway in Orillia is a showcase dealership that he opened a couple of years ago. He sells GM cars and trucks. He has to overcome all the press General Motors has been receiving recently.

I called him a couple of weeks ago after I had heard his blanket radio advertising on Rock 95 http://www.rock95.com/. He had run an indoor garage sale the weekend before and I was interested in hearing how it had worked. Like everyone I have been following the news of the auto industry’s challenges, especially General Motors and wanted to find out how he had done. I was expecting the worst.

That was not the case. Jim was still pumped over the results of the weekend. The event packed his showroom. Turns out that Orillia consumers know something the rest of us don’t: GM makes some good cars and you can get a great deal right now. 3 years of maintenance, 5-year warranty, great prices appeal to me…and to a lot of people in Orillia as well. Jim's marketing talent: he took advantage of those features and created an event that benefited consumers. Marketing 101!

I’m not a shill for General Motors. Full disclosure: I have worked for their advertising agencies in the past; I do not work for them now. I drive a Saab, but haven’t owned a ‘domestic’ vehicle for a number of years.

I like a good business and marketing story. I especially appreciate a business story where individual determination combined confidence attitude drives results that beats the odds.

Jim follows the basics: Great customer service, fair prices, and added value…these never go out of style.

I don't want my fourth Saab to be my last!

As the owner of a 2005 Saab 9-5 ARC, I was saddened to hear that Saab in Sweden had filed for bankrupcy protection. I fell in love with the Saab 900's, 9000's and now 9-5's when I worked for their Canadian advertising agency, Cossette http://www.cossette.com/www/default.php many, many years ago.

The affair with Saab began when I travelled to Trollhatten to visit the factory head office and the Saab museum. I had gone to Sweden to finalize the new car brochures that the advertising agency was producing. I picked up my first Saab on that trip: a wooden scale model of the first Saab concept car that I bought at the museum. It still occupies a place of honor on my desk.

On the other side of my desk is a scale model of a Black Saab 9-5 Combi that was given to me by my dealer, Kitchener Saab www.saturnofkitchener.saturncanada.com/ These two models fight for my attention every day.

I am doing my part to keep the company and their superb handling machines alive so that I can move on to my fourth model this fall:

• I joined up on a web site launched recently to capture the names of supporters http://www.rescue-saab.com/en/index.html
• I linked their blog to my blog http://rescuesaab.blogspot.com/
• I am now following them on twitter http://twitter.com/rescuesaab
  

And yes, I will shout out my support for Saab from the rooftop if I have to!

This is all very irrational. But then, that's what strong branding does.

By the way, here are my four Saab cars:

1. Wooden Saab scale model purchased in Trollhatten, Sweden in 1987. Still own it
2. Saab 900 3 door turbo. Bought used from Kitchener Saab. Dark blue interior. Loved it. Especially on country drives with the sunroof open and windows down.
3. Saab 9000 5 door. Bought used from Budd's Saab in Oakville. My oldest kids learned to drive on that one. We put 120,000 kms on it in about 3 years
4. Saab 9-5. Leased in 2005 from Kitchener Saab. Silver ARC with Grey leather. The 220hp turbo engine performs way above its class.

I don't want my third Saab to be my last!

As an owner of a 2005 Saab 9-5 ARC, I was saddened to hear that Saab in Sweden had filed for bankrupcy protection. I fell in love with the Saab 900's, 9000's and now 9-5's when I worked for their Canadian advertising agency, Cossette http://www.cossette.com/www/default.php many, many years ago.

The affair with Saab began when I travelled to Trollhatten to visit the factory head office and the Saab museum. I had gone to Sweden to finalize the new car brochures that the advertising agency was producing. I picked up my first Saab on that trip: a wooden scale model of the first Saab concept car that I bought at the museum. It still occupies a place of honor on my desk.

On the other side of my desk is a scale model of a Black Saab 9-5 Combi that was given to me by my dealer, Kitchener Saab www.saturnofkitchener.saturncanada.com/ These two models fight for my attention every day.

I am doing my part to keep the company and their superb handling machines alive so that I can move on to my fourth model this fall:

• I joined up on a web site launched recently to capture the names of supporters http://www.rescue-saab.com/en/index.html
• I linked their blog to my blog http://rescuesaab.blogspot.com/
• I am now following them on twitter http://twitter.com/rescuesaab

And yes, I will shout out my support for Saab from the rooftop if I have to!

This is all very irrational. But then, that's what strong branding does.

How the 2009 Formula 1 cars are different for the 2008 models

This video from youtube is simply fantastic. It features the Red Bull F1 team.

Using animated illustrations, it vividly demonstrates the exterior changes to the bodywork of the F1 cars: overall size changes, barge board revisions, front suspension and wing, and rear wing. It also explains the new energy recovery system very well. And yes, slick tires are back for 2009.

After all the chatter over the off season, this is one of the best explanations I have seen. Check it out for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTkVKPdyWs0

The first Formula One race is now about a month away! Can't wait!

Training for the Reggae Marathon in Negril, Jamaica, December 5, 2009

December 5, 2009 is going to come awfully fast this year!

And I confess that even though I have committed to running in the Reggae Marathon in Negril, Jamaica I am starting to have second thoughts. I can visualize starting and finishing…it’s just the 26 miles in between that I am completely blank about.

First things first: I need to loose some weight. Not much, just 15 lbs. I should do it within the next couple of months. The general plan is to continue to adjust our diet further. Lots of vegetables, chicken and fish. My wife Sally has already got us on that path with delicious meals that are prepared really well. Reducing my portion size will be key. There go the salty snacks though; Sally will be happy.

Then the strength training: my ‘Achilles Knees’. This was the killer that kept me from finishing the last one. And although I run, cycle and ski, I know I have to begin strengthening those tiny muscles on the side of my knees. We have joined the local YMCA here in Wasaga Beach. It is a great new facility with lots of high-end training machines. I am planning to work both upper and lower body.

And finally the running: as the weather improves, I plan to increase the mileage slowly throwing in some speed work, hills and of course our fantastic 14 km long flat, hard-packed sandy beach.

If all goes well and I minimize any injuries, 20 of those 26 miles shouldn't be so bad.

Ice Box Cake

This is a simple, but delicious desert that will please anyone. The recipe below is unique to my grandmother and have yet to find it prepared this way anywhere else

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of yellow Pound cake
• 1 lb icing sugar
• 1/2 lb butter
• 1egg
• 1 large can of fruit cocktail
• 1 tbsp. vanilla
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• 2 tins of Nestle carnation cream
• Cherries for garnish

Method:

• Cream butter, sugar and egg
• Drain the can of fruit and add it to the mixture
• Add vanilla and lime
• Slice the pound cake in to 1/2 inch slices and line the bottom and sides of a 8 x 12 inch dish
• Pour a layer of mixture on top of the cake, then cover with another layer of cake
• Repeat again, and end with the cake layer on top (so, three layers of cake and two layers of mixture in total)
• Whip the carnation cream and spread it on top of the cake. Decorate with a few cherries on top and enjoy
  

How General Motors can improve their advertising

I am stunned!

About 3 weeks ago I saw an ad in the paper announcing a brand new deal on cars from General Motors. It caught my attention because it offered to reduce my cost of buying and owning a new car. And yes, General Motors makes some really good cars: Vibe, Malibu, Equinox.

Here's what caught my eye: great price, 5 year warranty, free OnStar and XM Satellite radio for a couple of years, and to top it off, FREE maintenance for 3 years. That looked like a good deal to me. And I am sure that others would feel the same way.

It must be a 'Top Secret' deal however...I haven't heard any more about this anywhere. Not TV, Radio, Web. Not even at the Toronto Automobile show that I attended this past week in Toronto. They might be advertising it, but I haven't seen it.

So here is my free, unsolicited recommendation to GM to get this really great message out: Twitter it!

Actually, they should set up a contest to have consumers create a 30 second commercial promoting this deal and post it on youtube. They could judge the entires and award prizes for the best and worst videos. This would get the message out quickly.

And all it would take is a Twitter message from GM today.

Advertising is about telling potential customers that how your product will benefit them. This deal is ripe for the telling.

How to Maximize your Marketing in a Turbulent Economy

Recently I have been blogging about how individuals can do something positive during these turbulent economic times. One choice I have made is to be more selective about the companies I do business with. I commented on a local repair shop in Collingwood, Coxy’s and my financial institution, Parama. Both provide great customer service.

Since then, I have been asked to take this a step further. Steve, a good friend, challenged me to get out and help good companies improve the effectiveness of their marketing in this challenging business environment. He gets credit for the title of this week’s post, “Maximize your Marketing in a Turbulent Economy”. Thanks Steve.

Since then I have refined a simple 3-step program that any business can implement to get their marketing programs working more effectively. And NOW is the time to start!

Here is the 3-step plan: Give great customer service, charge a fair price and provide added value. In these turbulent times, these are the only three things a business needs to focus on in order not only to survive, but thrive. And while every company operates in different circumstances, these can be applied to improve marketing effectiveness.

First, give great customer service. I can’t say enough about this. Companies are always looking for a point of difference, a unique selling proposition (USP). This is it! It is at the heart of marketing because it puts the customer first. And for a smaller business facing stiff competition it is the one thing that can provide a tangible point-of-difference against larger competitors.

Second, charge a fair price. Here is a quick example they don’t teach in business school. On a recent ski day at Blue Mountain with a good friend who operates a successful business in the GTA, he received a call from a customer asking if he could get a reduced price on a quote. My friend confidently responded that at the quoted price, the customer would get his products on time, guaranteed, and would get his usual level of follow-up service. That brief exchange demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of the price/value equation. And it worked!

Third, provide added value. You don’t always have to discount your prices to increase sales. Charge a fair price but offer the customer more that has great perceived value for the customer. At a restaurant chain I worked for, we offered a free soft drink with purchase of regularly priced sandwiches. It worked because the soft drink had good perceive value at a low cost.

Com-Tekk in Wasaga Beach does all three really well. (www.comtekk.net)

I had a problem with my computer last week. No, I didn’t break it as I did with the snow blower; it just started to shut down intermittently. I took it in to Com-Tekk dreading the worst. When Jeff, the Sales Manager called after only a day and a half, telling me it was ready, I was pleased. They performed extensive tests of the hard drive and other components and cleaned the interior thoroughly all for about an hour’s service time. Turns out that the power unit had likely been overheating leading to the power shutting off. And to top it off, he offered suggestions for how to back up my work files more effectively.

Obviously I will use them again. They understood my problem, fixed it at a fair price and cheerfully gave some great advice.

If these 3 steps are implemented, success will follow.

How to Maximize your Marketing in a Turbulent Economy

Recently I have been blogging about how individuals can do something positive during these turbulent economic times. One choice I have made is to be more selective about the companies I do business with. I commented on a local repair shop in Collingwood, Coxy’s and my financial institution, Parama. Both provide great customer service.

Since then, I have been asked to take this a step further. Steve, a good friend, challenged me to get out and help good companies improve the effectiveness of their marketing in this challenging business environment. He gets credit for the title of this week’s post, “Maximize your Marketing in a Turbulent Economy”. Thanks Steve.

Since then I have refined a simple 3-step program that any business can implement to get their marketing programs working more effectively. And NOW is the time to start!

Here is the 3-step plan: Give great customer service, charge a fair price and provide added value. In these turbulent times, these are the only three things a business needs to focus on in order not only to survive, but thrive. And while every company operates in different circumstances, these can be applied to improve marketing effectiveness.

First, give great customer service. I can’t say enough about this. Companies are always looking for a point of difference, a unique selling proposition (USP). This is it! It is at the heart of marketing because it puts the customer first. And for a smaller business facing stiff competition it is the one thing that can provide a tangible point-of-difference against larger competitors.

Second, charge a fair price. Here is a quick example they don’t teach in business school. On a recent ski day at Blue Mountain with a good friend who operates a successful business in the GTA, he received a call from a customer asking if he could get a reduced price on a quote. My friend confidently responded that at the quoted price, the customer would get his products on time, guaranteed, and would get his usual level of follow-up service. That brief exchange demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of the price/value equation. And it worked!

Third, provide added value. You don’t always have to discount your prices to increase sales. Charge a fair price but offer the customer more that has great perceived value for the customer. At a restaurant chain I worked for, we offered a free soft drink with purchase of regularly priced sandwiches. It worked because the soft drink had good perceive value at a low cost.

Com-Tekk in Wasaga Beach does all three really well. (www.comtekk.net)

I had a problem with my computer last week. No, I didn’t break it as I did with the snow blower; it just started to shut down intermittently. I took it in to Com-Tekk dreading the worst. When Jeff, the Sales Manager called after only a day and a half, telling me it was ready, I was pleased. They performed extensive tests of the hard drive and other components and cleaned the interior thoroughly all for about an hour’s service time. Turns out that the power unit had likely been overheating leading to the power shutting off. And to top it off, he offered suggestions for how to back up my work files more effectively.

Obviously I will use them again. They understood my problem, fixed it at a fair price and cheerfully gave some great advice.

If these 3 steps are implemented, success will follow.

Join me in running the Reggae Marathon December 5

I have never finished a marathon.

Back in December, I posted an article about my unfinished marathon. It has been a thorn in my side for many years. To compensate I have competed in numerous 10 k runs and ½ marathons. As well, I competed in triathlons and although I did well in them, I still had that nagging feeling that something remained unfinished.

I began running back in my late 20’s out of fear. I was seriously overweight, out-of-shape and on the declining health path. To top it off, at a regular doctor’s visit I learned that my blood pressure had crept up. And while it wasn’t in the danger zone yet, it was headed the wrong way. That caught my attention. Hypertension ran in my family. Dad had suffered for years. It became a leading cause of his health decline later in life.

So I started running. But I never finished my marathon.

Recent events in my life jolted to complete this unfinished business. Part of my motivation is personal: my Dad passed away last fall after a long, courageous, complicated heath battle. I am dedicating this race to his memory. I am also motivated to inspire other runners who want to compete in and complete their first marathon.

And what a great place to do it: Negril, Jamaica. The event is the Reggae Marathon on December 5, 2009.

Ahhh…Negri. A beautiful long sweep of white sand and warm Caribbean water. The course is basically a flat, out and back route. There will Reggae music of course and the legendary warmth and hospitality of Jamaicans. What could be a more fantastic location for your first marathon?

Over the next 10 months I will provide updates on my progress. And I hope you will join me.

First though, please go to the Reggae Marathon web site and check out all the planned events and activities: http://reggaemarathon.com/. You can also pre-register there. I have been in communication with a number of people involved with the organization of the event and have received great support.

Then join me at http://inspiredrunning.ning.com/. This is the social network I have established for interested runners to join to share stories and support each other in our preparation for the event December 5 in Negril. Lets see if we can’t show the folks in Jamaica that even though we spend much of our time running in the cold up here in Ontario, we know how to run…and have a good time. Who knows, If we get enough followers, we may be able to rustle up some T shirts and other goodies so that we can look like a real ‘Inspired Running’ team when we get to Negril.

If you are inspired by running and need a goal for 2009, let this be it. I will finish my 'unfinished business' December 5th.

How 25 divided by 5 equals 14

This video was sent to me by a friend. for all you mathematicians out there, this video link proves absolutely without a doubt that 25 divided by 5 equals 14. Hilarious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omyUncKI7oU

How to make delicious Festival from scratch

We posted this recipee back in December but upon the request of 'Anonymous', here it is again.

Yes, you can buy a pre-mixed package from a West Indian store such as Nicey's http://www.niceysfoodmart.com/ but this is much more fun.

This golden treat can be enjoyed with any meal, but is especially delicious with breakfast. It has the texture of a donut, but is not as sweet and is delicous when dipped in gravy.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 Tbsp. margarine
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup oil for frying

Method:

• In one large bowl, sift flour and baking powder
• Add cornmeal, sugar, nutmeg, salt, margarine, lime juice and enough water to bind mixture to a manageable dough
• Leave to stand for two minutes
• Heat Oil in a pan, shape festival into fingers and fry
• Drain on absorbent paper.

How to cook Hot Pepper Shrimp to die for!

This is a unique snack to Jamaica that is made using prawns from Black River and sold on Bamboo Walk.

You can leave the heads on (which is my favourite part) or you can take them off.

This is my favourite Jamaican snack, but beware, because they are very, very HOT!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb shrimp or prawns
• 2 green onions chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 or 2 scotch bonnet peppers (depending on how hot you want it)
• 1/3 cup oil for frying
  

Method:

• In a large pan, heat oil to medium and then add green onions, garlic and peppers. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes
• Add shrimp, making sure each shrimp is thoroughly covered in the mixture and cook for about 5 minutes, or until each shrimp is bright red
• Let them cool and drain on some paper towel

Now get a cold Red Stripe (not that we encourage the consumption of alcoholic beverages) and dig in!

Friday the 13th Sucks!

Friday the 13th really sucks. For some people, but not for me.

Here we are, an entire society of grownups caught up in the belief that it is a 'Bad Luck' day. And all because of some events that while terrible, occurred in the past. Spending any energy today worrying about what terrible things may happen because of the day and date is a waste of time.

But thanks to the superstition, lots of people will be playing it close-to-the vest today and will play it conservatively. I have a 'High Energy' day planned today to take advantage that.

My plans include actively prospecting for new business in all the areas I work in. I am sending out a proposal for a FREE marketing seminar to Alteredperceptioninc prospects. I have a teleconference with a business in Newfoundland to discuss sales and marketing plans. And I am moving forward on a project that will take a group of runners to Jamaica to compete in and complete their first marathon. And to top it off, I am taking my wife to dinner at an excellent local Italian restaurant tonight.

Thanks to everyone who believes in bad luck today. Due to you and your superstitions, it will be a GREAT day for me today.

How Failure leads to Success

Too often we judge failure to achieve an objective the first time as 'FAILURE'. In car racing, this is not the case because the only way to achieve success in racing is to push the limits - fail, then try again. It is a good reminder to never, ever give up.

I am sharing this video because although it is a corporate piece, it contains some strong inspirational and motivational tips on achieving success http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgXegRoErNk

The video was sent to me via email from an excellent blog I subscribe to that is sales-focused, but provides advice that can be applied to all areas of business http://salesblogcast.com/

Inspiration

I have been saving these inspirational and motivational sayings for a rainy day and it seems to be doing that literally this morning north of Toronto.

These sayings and “ism’s” were collected from various sources over many years. I keep this list up-to-date and refer to it often. I would love to hear from you if you have any to share. Please do so in the comment area immediately below this article. I hope you find some inspiration:

• If you want to dance with god, you’ve got to ask

• From Barak Obama's inauguration speech, Jan 20, 2009
  -Freedom to Choose
  -Turning point for change
  -Let me have the wisdom to lead with humility
  -Choose hope over fear
  -We are willing to extend a hand if you unclench your fist

• Pain is the doorway to great learning. So sorry, but happy to hear
  that you're earning your wisdom. See you in class.

• Don't invest emotionally in the unknown

• 3 Rules to live by
  1. Remember who you are and where you came from.
  2. You don’t have to be the best but you must try your best.
  3. You don’t have to succeed at everything but you must learn from your experiences.

• Accuse you of success

• Leadership in business
  -Hire what you don't know
  -No dreams, no future
  -Don't find fault with what you don't understand
  -Emotion is essential
  -The best companies in the world are always worried

• Some questions are hazard, some are instinct, some are based on a premature understanding that is more than instinct, but less than knowledge.

• Actions have reactions, don't be quick to judge, you may not know the hardships people don't speak of.

• Your behaviour is a reflection of what you truly believe

• If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice

• Learn what to accept and what to push for change

• Failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part

• The essence of strategy is sacrifice

And again, please feel free to leave your comments in section immediately below this article.

PS: yes, that is a picture of Tia our Tiny Yorkie with the HUGE personality

My Hero the Pilot

One of the things that I have always aspired to is to be cool under fire. Both in life and in business. Movie characters like Clint Eastwood in just about everything he has ever done, but especially Kelly’s Heroes. Tom Hanks in Apollo 13. The character, Draper in Mad Men. But the recent fantastic story of the pilot who landed his plane in the Hudson River really caught my attention. His years of experience allowed him to make the instant decision that saved the lives of all his passengers. He was over 50.

I must confess. For the past 18 months or so I have been stressed about turning 50. That ‘special day’ occurred in February 2008. So with 51 just around the corner, I have been thinking about it once again.

I work in advertising. A young person’s game I was told. Get out before you turn 50. I have believed that my entire working career. Unfortunately I managed to make that advice come true.

I realize now though that I have led myself astray. Years of experience matter! . Now more so than ever in this economic climate. To have all of that thrown out just because I hit 5-0 seems stupid.

Well to borrow a line from another movie, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!”

And that’s where my pilot hero entered. Experience got the job done!

Youth with all its fresh energy and enthusiasm is not the exclusive preserve of the young. I know I am not the first to figure that out. At 50 I still have the naïve optimism I had when I was 21. Just ask my wife, Sally.

I also however have the grey hair, love handles and wrinkles of 30 years of living. And the experience gained from being in the trenches of business.

Looking for an opportunity that takes advantage of my experience now. The search has been frustrating. Lots of naysayers out there. But through blogging I have met some new, positive influences. And I continue to be optimistic, enthusiastic and energetic. The passengers of the flight that landed in the Hudson would agree.

PS: The headline for my personal ad: “Enthusiastic, energetic, experienced…gets the job done!”

Until next week…

Marketing in a challenging economy…Customer Service, duh!

The question I am asked most frequently is, “How do I get the most out of my marketing and advertising $’s during these challenging economic times?” Big question. The answer came to me during an early morning run along the beach the other morning. Helped along with a great suggestion from my wife, Sally.

Let me to elaborate with a couple of examples. At the end of this post, I have a suggestion for how each of us can play a part in a helping good businesses do more effective marketing to attract new customers.

In a previous blog I ranted about the insulting $18 billion bonuses that US financial institutions had paid their executives in 2008, after receiving $700 billion in bailout money.

I commented on that story in the MacLeans blog where I read it, and it inspired me to blog about it. I suggested an excellent alternative, credit unions. The particular one I belong to is Parama Lithuanian Credit Union http://www.parama.ca/. They treat me as an individual. They know my name. They smile while they take care of my banking!

To top it off, at the end of each fiscal year, they distribute a portion of the profits back to the members. Got $’s back this week! Surprised actually, I expected to hear that “due to the economic situation, blah, blah, blah…”

Then I broke our new snow blower last week!

I blamed the newspaper for the damage. I ran over a local paper packed with flyers, wrapped in plastic that was lurking under 8 inches of snow. It stopped the machine dead in its tracks. And this is a 10.5 horsepower 2-stage monster that is essential here in snow country!

I am not handy. It had to go to a repair shop.

Got on the Internet immediately and Googled “Snow blower repair shops in Collingwood”. Immediately found a local place, Coxys. Stressed when I called them but was immediately calmed by the voice of the person who answered the phone. She answered all my questions, arranged to have the unit picked up, free of charge, and promised to call if major repairs were needed.

After only a couple of days, she called me to give me very pleasant news: minor damage only. To top it off, they had checked the entire machine as well at no extra charge! Everything was in great shape. Actually cost significantly less that what I had been quoted. And a cliché, ‘service with a smile’!

Great big sign of relief. I sent the owner Jayson a thank you email jayson-cox@hotmail.com. He appreciated the complement. I really appreciated the service.

Later, while running, the common link between these two experiences jumped at me. These were confident, well run businesses. You felt that when you walked into their locations.

They took care of my needs.

And that is what I believe companies need to do to improve their marketing effectiveness. Especially in these challenging economic times. Focus on communicating in real, tangible ways that they take care of their customers one at a time. (Yes, I am available to help them do that).

And that got me thinking about what we can do to help companies like these grow and succeed. With Sally’s excellent help of course J.

First, I thought about the other companies that we do business with. Decided immediately to focus on companies that met the above criteria. We will stop doing business with companies that don’t do that for us. I will promote them.

Second, to ask for your help. Think about what companies you do business with that give your great service. Add them to the comment link at the bottom of this email. Forward this blog link on to your friends, family and business associates. We will promote them together.

If we each take action, we can help the real winners grow and succeed.

Baby Steps…life after losing your job

Square peg, round hole.

That sums up how I felt day one at my previous employer. Knew it the first day. Figured I could beat it. Felt bullish! After all, I had conquered the franchise/dealer world. This would be piece of cake.

Lasted 15 months. 9 of them hell. Couldn’t get a handle on the client. Despite my best efforts. Challenges with the internal team in terms of getting them on side. Roles duplicated and not clearly defined. I was in a marathon and the company was running sprints.

It was uncomfortable. But there was learning. Lots of it. Steep learning curve. Very steep! Unfortunately the learning didn't help with the work situation, but it led to a brave new world for me...

It began with Alan Kay of the Glassgow Group http://www.glasgrp.com/ . He was brought in to lead a series of cross department training sessions. How to implement change within an organization. Nothing new here. What was new to me was the approach: breaking down the goal into smaller ‘baby steps’. Won't get into the details, probably mess them up. Check it out for yourself. My takeaway:

• Define the goal (s) you would like to accomplish
• On a scale of 1 – 10, rank where you currently stand on each one
• Then ask the question, “What would it take to move to a 10?”

The answers are the ‘baby steps’.

What appealed to me most though was focusing on solutions. Never liked 'analyzing a problem to death'. Negative energy! Solution-approach: positive energy! Felt right for me. Embraced it. Then forgot about it.

Layoff in August '08 galvanized me into action. But not until I had spent months playing the blame game.

Bad timing. Not only were agencies holding off on hiring, most of the ones I wanted to work for were downsizing. And crazy me, I wanted to work in the automotive category based on my previous experience!

Blamed everyone and everything. “Poor me”.

Finally in early December a friend (thank you EI and I don’t mean Employment Insurance) suggested I participate in a teleconference hosted by Jack Canfield of ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ fame http://jackcanfield.com/intro_audio_thankyou. It was the catalyst I needed to get going again.

And once I added the ‘baby steps’ process, positive things started to happen.

Set my goal: work. Simple, I was unemployed.

Rank: about 4 out of 10. Maybe even lower. Middle age ad guy looking for work in the advertising business north of Toronto as we sink into recession! Tons of experience though, smiles a lot and likes selling.

“What would it take to get to a 8?” OK, had to be realistic.

First step, decided I wanted to work with a small firm with direct contact with Creative and clients.

Second step, wanted to be close to home. Looked to Barrie.

Third step, contacted all the ad agencies and design firms in Barrie. Cold called them actually.

Got response from 2. One was interested and ‘put me on file’. Next.

The other was interested but was busy with work. Understood that. The mad rush to complete work before the end-of-the year. Set up a meeting for early January.

And after a 3 week courtship of emails, telephone conference calls and late afternoon meetings at the Williams Coffee Pub in Barrie, we closed the deal. Result: started working on new business with alteredperceptioninc on January 27. Check them out at http://www.alteredperceptioninc.com/. They do great work and I am excited to be working with them. I know, I know…shameless self promotion :)

And the best part of the experience? I blog about it. Now, that will get me to a '10'

Goals. Baby Steps. Positive Energy. Moving forward. The story continues…