Jamaica Bound

Jamaica Bound!  Bags packed for wheels up to Negril on Wednesday.  Flying direct this year from Toronto to Negril via Air Canada.  By this time tomorrow I'll be comfortably ensconced in my first class seat sipping Champagne...oops, that was my inner voice fantasy.  I'm in Economy but with my prefered Aisle seat...easy access to the onboard washroom.

Another big advantage of flying direct, assuming all goes well,is that I'll be through the airport in Montego Bay ahead of rush hour traffic. That should ease the drive along the shore road to Negril.  And again, assuming all goes well, I should be able to get in a late afternoon swim at Rondel Village, my hotel in Negril.  Dan...you listening?

Rondel Village has been the base of operations for Reggae Marathon for the past 7 years.  It's a great, intimate, very well run hotel along the Negril Beach.  It's about a mile to the Reggae Marathon Start/Finish line and a little less to the Pasta Party.  We do a lot of walking and given that it's way warmer than Toronto, that's a good thing!

Dan and I take breakfast and dinner most nights at the restaurant by the beach at Rondel Village.  There's a Menu of course but for Breakfast it's the Jamaican Breakfast:  Ackee and Saltfish;  For supper, Escovitch Fish...a whole Snapper!  Blue Mountain coffee in the morning;  Red Stripe with Supper.  I'm salivating!  The service is great and the conversation between tables is usually all about running...Rondel Village is a popular hotel with Reggae Marathoners.  If you're planning on running Reggae Marathon 2018, book early!

Beach, beach, beach...there, that decision made!  Rondel Village has a relatively compact beach frontage.  There are two areas, behind the fence and directly on the beach.  Dan and I stake out our beach-side lounges first thing after breakfast Thursday morning.  With towels supplied by the hotel, there's only one other decision to make:  SPF 45?  Yes, heavyweight sun protection is mandatory in Negril in December.  It's hot of course...which I love...and with the sun more directly overhead that in Canada, only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the sun without sunscreen (with apologies to the Joe Cocker album I lifted that line from).

Oh, and there's a race this Saturday!  Yeah, 5:15 am Saturday a few thousand runners are sent away for a full Marathon, Half Marathon or 10K.  I've got Finisher Medals from all three but for the past few years I've run the 10K.  I get a nice run in and am finished and enjoying a cold Red Stripe and a refreshing post-race swim by 6:30 am.  That's about as good as it gets.

One more sleep to wheels up...

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

How to develop a bulletproof marketing plan

How do you develop a bulletproof marketing plan?  I've found that complex marketing plans for small business owners are not effective.  They need strategically sound strategies and responsive tactics that help build sales.  Here's a good formula:

Chris M Morales

chris.morales@bell.net

@ChrisMoralesTO

647 393 3855

The opinions expressed on this blog are my own and are not associated with any other group or organization

"Tarahumara...Super Athletes born to run

You may have heard of the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico.  They are runners!  If you haven't, pick up the book, 'Born to Run' by Christopher McDougall.  It introduces us to Caballo Blanco and the Tarahumara.  A great read!  "Tarahumara...Super athletes born to run"!

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

Marketing to drive Sales

'Marketing, Sales' or is it 'Sales, Marketing'.  Chicken and Egg discussion I've had many times. The reality is that without demand for a product or service, you're a commodity in a race to the bottom on price!  Marketing and Sales have to work together to understand the marketplace to make better decisions on how to connect with customers.

Chris M Morales

chris.morales@bell.net

@ChrisMoralesTO

647 393 3855

The opinions expressed on this blog are my own and are not associated with any other group or organization

Getting Ready For Reggae Marathon

I'm getting ready for Reggae Marathon, only a few weeks away now on December 2.  Getting ready?  What's to get ready for?  It's a warm weather destination race event beside a beach!  Running shoes, tights, top and bathing suit...that about does it for packing.  Well...

• Airplane ticket:  Direct flight this year from Toronto to Montego Bay!  Yippee!.  As much as I like the airport in Miami, I love this direct, non-stop flight to Jamaica.  
• Transfer to Negril from the airport in Montego Bay:  JUTA Negril takes care of me both ways at Reggae Marathon.  I love the trip and check off the touch points on my way:  Montego Bay Harbour from the 'high road';  The Street vendors as we make it through town;  The Water Wheel at Tryall;  Coming into Lucea...always a hustle and bustle;  Green Island, the original turnaround for the full Marathon;  Long Bay Beach Park...ahhh, we're home!
• First Red Stripe on the Beach:  For the past number of years I've stayed at Rondel Village, a really nice smaller property along the Negril Beach.  So has Dan Cumming and it's been great to catch up over a beer at dinner watching the sun sink into the Caribbean.
• First run in Negril:  Looking forward to Thursday morning's run with Dan.  Easy pace and not too long.  
• Everything around the Reggae Marathon Race Experience of course:  Thursday to meet the Reggae Marathon crew and pick up our race kits;  Friday night Pasta Party to meet up with the rest of the international gang;  Saturday before, during and after...I never want it to end!
• Ossies for Jerk Pork and Jerk Chicken:  Washed down with a cold Red Stripe.  Do I really need to say more?
• The Beer Bus...or is that politically incorrect?  Sunday's bus trip to numerous off-the-beaten path bars in Negril's West End organized by Larry Savitch is the perfect way to end a fabulous weekend.  Wonder how many people will be crammed onboard this year?

Yes the suitcase is packed.  New shoes and all.  What time is the limo coming...?

Until next time...

ThatRunninGuy

Social Selling in B2B

Social Selling definition: 
'Social selling is when salespeople use Social Media to interact directly with their prospects. Salespeople will provide value by answering prospect questions and offering thoughtful content until the prospect is ready to buy'.

Chris M Morales

chris.morales@bell.net

@ChrisMoralesTO

647 393 3855

The opinions expressed on this blog are my own and are not associated with any other group or organization

The Rise Of The Half Marathon...The 13 Point One

The rise of the half marathon is fueled by the increase in women runners.  Now over 60% of Half Marathoners are women and the trend shows every sign of continuing to grow.  Personally I think we should call Half Marathons '13 Point One' especially when so many of say, "Oh...I'm only doing the Half Marathon".  What?  It's running 13.1 miles!

In the infographic below there's an easy-to-follow 10 week training plan to ensure you're ready for your Half Marathon...er, 13 Point One:

Until next time...

ThatRunninGuy

B2B Marketing...Hungry For Content

Content, content, content...If you've heard it once...

The appetite for content is unending especially in Social Selling.  Showing thought leadership and sharing content relevant to prospects is at the core of helping prospects navigate the buying process.  Professional selling gets a boost when sales people leverage content about their products and services that differentiates them from competitors.  White Papers, Articles, Blogs, Webinars, Product Demos...Content!

Chris M Morales

chris.morales@bell.net

@ChrisMoralesTO

647 393 3855

The opinions expressed on this blog are my own and are not associated with any other group or organization