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 :)
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
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.
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:
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:
- Wooden Saab scale model purchased in Trollhatten, Sweden in 1987. Still own it
- 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.
- 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
- Saab 9-5. Leased in 2005 from Kitchener Saab. Silver ARC with Grey leather. The 220hp turbo engine performs way above its class.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
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:
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.
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