birdfeed

Should Your Business Check-in with Foursquare?

2010-04-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

Technology changes pretty fast. Because of this, most of us are learning to change and adapt pretty quickly as well. The upside of this is that we’re readily adopting new application offerings and integrating them into our lives. Most of you have probably had this experience with things like LinkedIn or Facebook; some of you probably are using Twitter frequently.

This recent Indianapolis Business Journal article explores one of the new kids on the block, Foursquare, and the potential impact it might have on your business, especially if you own or run a retail location that depends on foot traffic.

[Read the complete article]

Need a problem solved? Think like a designer.

2010-03-15T06:19:00.000-07:00

In a recent article (and accompanying video), award-winning author Warren Berger suggests that designers have just the right toolset to answer a whole range of questions; many of which fall outside the traditional role of 'design'.

"Don't think about design just as your logo or the visual aspect of your business; think of it as a process you can use to tackle problems in your business," says Mr. Berger. "Design is really just creative problem solving." He proposes that design can help answer fundamental questions like ‘What are we going to make? How can we make it better? And how can we satisfy our customers?'

The key is in the way that designers approach problems. "Designers are very good at asking what I call stupid questions," Mr. Berger says. "Why do we do things the way we do? Is this the best way to do it or could we do it differently? Small companies especially need to do that because they can get into a pattern of doing things a certain way for a long time."

This has certainly been my experience working with designers and other creatives for more than twenty years. The process can be challenging and difficult, but the results are nearly always rewarding and often surprising. It's this fundamental ability to look at things from alternate perspectives that makes the difference. Berger refers to it as 'lateral thinking', which seems appropriate. But it's often just as simple as breaking a problem and the possible solutions down into the smallest possible parts and re-thinking each step:

Is this really necessary?
How could changing this function affect the result?
How could this part of the process be improved?

The article offers the example of the OXO Good Grips measuring cup, which allows you to see how full it is from above. “If you had asked people about their measuring cup, they'd say it was fine, but when you watched them, you could see that there was something that could be improved,” Mr. Berger says. The innovation came from actually watching people in their kitchens as they crouched down to get a better look at things.

Interesting stuff, and great food for thought for anyone facing a particularly thorny issue.

[Watch the video]
[Read the article]

Why Nobody Cares About 'Billions'

2010-03-10T07:18:00.000-08:00

Here's a great idea about how you should present your business data to investors, prospects, or even just Mom: forget the billions. In a recent article, author and business plan expert Tim Berry explains that these numbers and this top-down approach just don't mean anything to anyone.

"As an investor, as a business plan contest judge, or as a teacher, I don’t really care how many billions of dollars are spent on this or that or the next thing when I’m reading a business plan. That number is too big. It tells me nothing."

He explains that what really matters, and what most of us can easily get our arms (and brains) around are the simple numbers; the granularity. For a web-based business, figure out what it will cost to get a single visitor to the site and how you'll do it. If you're a restaurant, tell me how you'll fill those seats on opening night and what you'll make from each customer. If you're the government trying to sell me a new healthcare plan, put it in terms of cost per doctor's visit or an average monthly premium. Then you can build forecasts from these details up into the larger numbers.

Especially for those companies in the business-plan-writing stages, this can be invaluable. Berry says, "I know that I’m in the majority, among people who read business plans, in really disliking the top-down, billions and billions kind of forecasts. When they start talking about getting only a very small percentage of an enormous market, they lose me. Those huge markets don’t split down into millions of pieces."

[Read the entire article]

You Think Your Family is Awkward?

2010-03-09T12:56:00.001-08:00

This is an article I didn't want to write, for two reasons: First, I know several people regularly to read these articles and depend on me (to some degree) to keep them informed about 'what's happening' online. Second, sharing this guilty pleasure makes me feel a little... well, grimy. Especially in light of the first reason. But it seems to me that we've reached a point in our lives, with this economy, the unemployment rate, and tax day right around the corner, where we could use a good laugh. So I've decided it's time to tell you about Awkward Family Photos.

[Learn more »]

Can social media replace traditional marketing communications? Doesn't look likely...

2010-02-24T12:12:00.000-08:00

Dan forwarded me an article today that ranks right up near the top of my "Things to read that are relevant" list. Titled "What If Giving Up Your Brand Really Means Giving Up?" this Advertising Age article from Jonathan Salem Baskin asks some very pointed questions and draws some mildly controversial conclusions. (At least, I'm assuming they might be considered controversial among those people advocating a complete rush to social media in lieu of traditional branding, but it hasn't seemed to bubble up to the top of Digg or gain a notable trend on Twitter, so we may never know.)

Baskin argues, basing his conclusions on the recent Edelman 2010 Trust Barometer, that consumers are growing weary (and wary) of their peers as credible sources of branding information. Where we once happily turned to people we trust to learn their opinions about a company or brand, we're now skeptical of the same people and what they have to say. Maybe it's because so many have turned out to be shills working on behalf of the companies they were promoting. Or maybe it's because some of them turned out to be the actual companies themselves, pretending to be average Joes.

Or maybe it's because Twitter recently announced that they've surpassed the 50 million tweets per day mark, and we're all buried under the noise.

Regardless, this paragraph from the article seems a perfect summation:

"If we renewed our commitment to selling based on credibility, authenticity and utility, maybe people would trust what we tell them, respect our corporate reputations, and give us their purchasing loyalty. Maybe if we stopped thinking we can give up responsibility for why they should buy, and start acting like David Ogilvy and sell to them once again, they'd find comfort relying on our communications as well as the subsequent iterations through the social echo chamber. This might unleash the ultimate promise of social and empower people to know, discuss and change the way businesses function, not just blather on about marketing blather."

Absolutely, positively right on the mark. I recommend that you read the rest of his excellent article. You can also read the results of the Edelman study. Enlightening stuff.

Circa 1995: “Hype alert: Why cyberspace isn't, and never will be, nirvana”

2010-02-20T08:32:00.000-08:00

Clifford Stoll was wrong. And partly right, too.

A Newsweek article from 1995 titled, "The Internet? Bah!" and sporting the unfortunate subtitle "Hype alert: Why cyberspace isn't, and never will be, nirvana" has recently begun making the rounds on the internet. As you can imagine, it's normally passed along with some comment about how short sighted the author, Clifford Stoll, must have been. "The poor guy," so the sentiment goes, "how could he have been so blind to what the rest of us could see so clearly?"

But when you read the article, it's easy to see that some of the problems he addressed were real. Some even continue today. But others... whoa! He couldn't have been further off the mark. Some examples:

"The truth is no online database will replace your daily newspaper, no CD-ROM can take the place of a competent teacher and no computer network will change the way government works."

That's a sentence I'm guessing he'd like to have back.

"How about electronic publishing? Try reading a book on disc. At best, it's an unpleasant chore: the myopic glow of a clunky computer replaces the friendly pages of a book. And you can't tote that laptop to the beach. Yet Nicholas Negroponte, director of the MIT Media Lab, predicts that we'll soon buy books and newspapers straight over the Intenet. Uh, sure."

Another crow he's certainly chewing on. Interestingly, it seems that Stoll's biggest problem in this whole mess was his inability (or unwillingness) to accept that things would change, technology would improve, and the status quo would be ever nudged in the direction of improvement. On the other hand, he was trying to sell a book he'd written called "Silicon Snake Oil - Second Thoughts on the Information Superhighway," so I think we can at least understand his perspective.

But just before that previous line about books, Stoll offered this:

"Consider today's online world. The Usenet, a worldwide bulletin board, allows anyone to post messages across the nation. Your word gets out, leapfrogging editors and publishers. Every voice can be heard cheaply and instantly. The result? Every voice is heard. The cacophany more closely resembles citizens band radio, complete with handles, harrasment, and anonymous threats. When most everyone shouts, few listen."

Honestly, to me, that still sounds a lot like today's world. Just substitute "internet" for Usenet, and you'll get a feel for blogging, Twitter, Facebook, and much of the other platforms people are using to 'spread the word.'

He also talks about the loss of human contact, and he's certainly right about that. There really is no substitute for being face-to-face, but the technology is certainly getting better in this area every day. My kids love talking with their grandparents over video chat, and it's easy enough that any of them– including the five year olds– can do it on their own.

But there are two paragraphs that really struck me as so far out in left field as to be on another planet. They are:

"Then there's cyberbusiness. We're promised instant catalog shopping--just point and click for great deals. We'll order airline tickets over the network, make restaurant reservations and negotiate sales contracts. Stores will become obselete. So how come my local mall does more business in an afternoon than the entire Internet handles in a month? Even if there were a trustworthy way to send money over the Internet--which there isn't--the network is missing a most essential ingredient of capitalism: salespeople."

Obviously, online shopping is here to stay. Technology has solved the problem of transferring money online and this marketplace will only keep growing. But the internet won't kill the local mall. Some people like the act of shopping as much or more than the act of buying.

Lastly, he eschews the sea of information as being unedited, uncontrolled, and lacking completeness. Without "editors editors, reviewers or critics, the Internet has become a wasteland of unfiltered data. You don't know what to ignore and what's worth reading." Partly true. But discernment has always been a part of communication. Just because someone tells me something doesn't mean I should believe it.

He then laments the inability to find anything in the haystack:

"Logged onto the World Wide Web, I hunt for the date of the Battle of Trafalgar. Hundreds of files show up, and it takes 15 minutes to unravel them--one's a biography written by an eighth grader, the second is a computer game that doesn't work and the third is an image of a London monument. None answers my question..."

This actually made me laugh. Can you imagine a world without search? Instant information at your fingertips, wherever you are, whenever you need it.

As Clifford likely knows, the Battle of Trafalgar took place on October 21, 1805. It was a naval engagement between the British and the combined fleets of Spain and France. The British fleet was led by Lord Nelson, commanding from his flagship HMS Victory. And it took me about 7 seconds to find out.

For some fun, read Clifford Stoll's Newsweek article, "The Internet? Bah!"

For even more fun, watch Clifford Stoll talk about ...everything... on TED.

Is integrity vital for success?

2010-02-15T07:14:00.000-08:00

We think so. Over the years, we've prided ourselves on our ability to have fierce conversations based on the principles of honesty, integrity, and truth. This is not to say that feelings are completely overlooked or that we take a tack where the complete truth must told despite the personal cost. We do, however, believe in the value of speaking the truth, owning up to mistakes, and openly dealing with things that might, at first, be uncomfortable. What we've learned is that it's preferable to deal with difficult issues early, as the longer they linger the worse things become.

We believe that our clients and friends appreciate this frankness. We believe this is one of the many reasons that they continue working with us, some for many years. As a result, our commitment to maintaining our integrity grows stronger with time. So when I saw this quote from President Eisenhower today, it rang completely true and I felt compelled to share it:

"The supreme quality for a leader is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is a section gang, on a football field, in an army, or in an office. If his associates find him guilty of phoniness, if they find that he lacks forthright integrity, he will fail. His teachings and actions must square with each other."

The first great need, therefore, is integrity and high purpose."

—Dwight D. Eisenhower

Can you afford to be authentic in business?

2010-02-10T08:18:00.000-08:00

I often say that true authenticity– being exactly who you really are and nothing else– is one of the most important things you can do to help be successful in whatever you're doing. When I saw this article from Business in Blue Jeans CEO Susan Baroncini-Moe talking about some of the issues people struggle with when trying to be authentic, it really struck a chord. To wit:

We're all works in progress
The truth has a way of seeping out
It's not about appearances, it's about truth
The real secret to gaining legitimacy is authenticity

How refreshing to hear someone discussing both the merits and difficulties of being truly authentic. I think her point about achieving legitimacy is key: we can only hope to find it by first gaining trust, and it's simply impossible to gain someone's trust by pretending to be something you aren't.

I often talk with people who are afraid to be authentic for fear that they might offend someone with whom they hope to do business. In fact, the opposite is often the case. By being true to who you are, you're more likely to connect with someone, not offend them. And, obviously, connecting is far more beneficial than leaving no impression at all. Of course, you certainly run the risk of not connecting– even offending– someone by being yourself. But if the two of you are that diametrically opposed, you're unlikely to be able to build a meaningful relationship anyway. And wouldn't it be nice to know that right away?

If you're interested, read Susan's article on Authenticity in Business.

Social self-promotion: arrogance or confidence?

2010-02-09T13:36:00.000-08:00

I read this quote today from Jeffrey Zeldman, a well-known web designer and blogger, talking about the difference between being a loud-mouthed self-promoter and sharing valued information about work; either yours or others:

"There is a difference between being arrogant about yourself as a person and being confident that your work has some value. The first is unattractive, the second is healthy and natural. Some people respond to the one as if it were the other. Don’t confuse them. Marketing is not bragging, and touting one’s wares is not evil. The baker in the medieval town square must holler 'fresh rolls' if he hopes to feed the townfolk."

"But direct self-promotion is ineffective and will go unnoticed unless it is backed by a more indirect (and more valuable) form of marketing: namely, sharing information and promoting others."

I couldn't help but think that this nuanced difference was one of the most recognizable trends (and, dare I say, problems) with the way that many people are using social media. Many people perceive tools like Twitter not so much as communication devices to have a meaningful dialog with people whom they find interesting, but rather as a sort of super-charged megaphone through which they are engaged in a virtual game of "look at me!"

If people (read: marketers) don't tone down the rhetoric a bit, they're going to find that no one is paying any attention to the increasing amount of noise and channels like Twitter will become increasingly less relevant. The trend is already in full swing, evidenced by the number of people who are 'following' thousands of people, but not engaging with any of them.

If you're interested, read Zeldman's original post on self-promotion.

Finally! Some good news for the over forty crowd

2010-02-05T09:58:00.000-08:00

Sure, you may be younger, better looking, and able to run faster, but there is growing evidence that us old fogies can outthink you. (No doubt these new studies were conducted by, analyzed by, and reported on by someone in the over forty crowd who stands to gain-- or at least feel a little better about themselves-- because of the results.

According to Barbara Strauch, deputy science editor and health and medical science editor at The New York Times and author of The Secret Life of the Grown-up Brain: The Surprising Talents of the Middle-Aged Mind, there are some tangible benefits of all those years we've survived.

According to Strauch, "Results of long-term studies show that we actually grow smarter in key areas in middle age which, with longer life spans, now stretches from our mid 40s to our mid to late 60s."

"In areas as diverse as vocabulary and inductive reasoning, our brains function better than they did in our 20s. As we age, we more easily get the "gist" of arguments. Even our judgment of others improves."

And this is vitally important, especially in the increasing complex environments in which we work. Turns out that we've trained our brains to overcome the natural decline that comes in some cognitive areas with aging.

"It's true that by midlife our brains can show some fraying," she says. "Brain processing speed slows down. Faced with new information, we often cannot master it as quickly as our younger peers. And there's little question that our short-term memories suffer. It's easy to panic when you find you can't remember the name of that person you know in the elevator, or even the movie you saw last week."

"But it turns out that such skills don't really matter that much. By midlife our brains have developed a whole host of talents that are, in the end, just as well suited to navigating the modern, complex workplace. As we age, we get better at seeing the possible. Younger brains, predictably, are set up to focus on the negative and potential trouble. Older brains, studies show, often reach solutions faster, in part, because they focus on what can be done."

Seven ways to reinvent yourself from Seth Godin

2010-01-13T13:01:00.000-08:00

Admittedly, I'm a fan of Seth Godin. Of course, most marketers are. The interesting thing about Seth and the dozen or so books he's written is that each and every one follows a similar style:

Identify the paradigm
Demonstrate why and how it's broken
Present an alternative
Challenge you to either accept or reject his thinking

But the last piece of the puzzle is what you do with it. If you reject it, it's up to you to set out to prove you're right; to demonstrate through your own successes that his view might be myopic. Of course, if you accept his thinking-- which nearly always means that you'll expect more from yourself-- well, then, you have the challenge of actually going out and doing something new, something different, and often something terribly risky in order to demonstrate your faith in the new World According to Godin. There's no pass. There's no easy way out. You either do or you don't, and then the work begins.

He recently released a brief manifesto (freely available) titled "Brainwashed" that deals with the way that we've all been trained to be trainable. How the 'system' has been working to make us cogs in the machine because the machine needed as many cogs as it could get. It's probably no surprise to you that the machine ain't what it used to be, but the system is still spitting out as many cogs as it can, much to the detriment of our economy, our future, us all.

So, what to do? Godin offers some salient and cogent advice: reinvent yourself. Here's how.

Four Key Leadership Tips from Gordon Bethune

2010-01-05T05:47:00.000-08:00

New York Times writer Adam Bryant recently had a conversation with Gordon Bethune, the CEO of Continental Airlines from 1994 to 2004. In it, Bethune shares some insights on leadership and management, including some real gems. Among them:

Treat people, no matter their role in the company, with respect
Always share the stage
Hire the best people, give them autonomy, and hold them accountable
Communicate openly and often; and always tell the truth

Toward the end of the article, Bethune is talking about being visible to employees and showing a real interest in them. He relates this story:

The best compliment I ever heard happened one Christmas. I always went out to the airport on holidays, and always made sure that I was there and I’d thank people for giving up their holiday to work. We’d go down to the break room. I’d always eat down in the break room where the food was being passed out.

I went to sit down at this big long table with these two guys, and I said, “Anybody sitting here?”

And one of them said to the other: “I told you he’d be here. Give me my $10.”

He had bet that guy $10 that I’d show up.

If you're interested, you can read the rest of the interview at the New York Times.

Getting things done with OmniFocus and Things

2010-01-04T05:33:00.000-08:00

Better organization skills have become an absolute necessity in today’s hyper-busy, multi-tasking, squeeze-every-last-bit-of-productivity-out-of-every-last-minute world. Organization has also become a huge industry, with everything from books to products to personal coaches who will help you devise strategies to improve your workflow. Perhaps the most important key to high productivity relates to the initial method you use to process all of the incoming information that crosses your desk (and your mind) on a daily basis. A process that has become even more difficult to manage thanks to that burgeoning email InBox. How you compartmentalize and process all of these bits of information can be the difference between being buried and actually getting things done.

[Learn more »]

What matters now?

2009-12-16T14:05:00.000-08:00

I came across this little ebook today and thought I'd do my part to pass it along. Here's a brief introduction from Seth Godin:

"Here are more than seventy big thinkers, each sharing an idea for you to think about as we head into the new year. From bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert to brilliant tech thinker Kevin Kelly, from publisher Tim O'Reilly to radio host Dave Ramsey, there are some important people riffing about important ideas here. The ebook includes Tom Peters, Fred Wilson, Jackie Huba and Jason Fried, along with Gina Trapani, Bill Taylor and Alan Webber.

Here's the deal: it's free. Download it here. Tweet it, email it, post it on your own site. I think it might be fun to make up your own riff and post it on your blog or online profile as well. It's a good exercise. Can we get this in the hands of 5 million people? Please share."

Download the free ebook, "What Matters Now."

Make travel more rewarding

2009-12-16T11:51:00.001-08:00

Here in Indiana, it’s December. Which means it’s cold, gray, and wet outside. Naturally, our minds because to turn toward warmer climes and distant shores. Or maybe just Ft. Myers. Either way, winter in Indiana is a great reason to travel.

[Read more]

Free shipping could make (or break) your holiday sales

2009-11-06T05:40:00.000-08:00

According to Shop.org's annual eHoliday Study conducted by Big Research, retailers are increasing looking to the Internet to boost lagging sales. Among the efforts getting the most attention: increasing or enhancing their presence on social networks, improving site functionality, and creating enticing discounts.

Some nugget-sized statistics:

60% have updated their Facebook pages
58% are using Twitter
65% are blogging and using RSS feeds
45% have improved shopping cart functionality
44% improved site search
42% added or improved cross- and up-selling
40% added or improved ratings and reviews
37% featured sale pages

Consumers expect to shop online 30% more

Free shipping will be a key strategy: nearly 80% will offer some sort of free shipping and almost 60% will offer free shipping with no attached conditions.

It's clear that online retailers are considering every tool in the arsenal to help drive sales. We're seeing similar efforts with our clients. My favorite item might surprise many of you: almost eighty percent of online retailers expect sales to be at least 14% above 2008 levels. But maybe not all that surprising, as almost 30% of consumers plan to devote more of their holiday budgets to online purchasing this year. The motivation? Compare prices, get free shipping, eliminate hassle and avoid the crowds.

One simple key to improving (nearly) everything

2009-10-29T07:34:00.000-07:00

Harvey Mackay, owner of Mackay Envelope, is widely known for his books and speaking engagements on sales. In his weekly column, he recalls the Broadway musical "My Fair Lady" to make a point:

In the Broadway musical "My Fair Lady," Professor Higgins has driven his prodigy Eliza Doolittle to exhaustion teaching her how to speak proper English. The professor shows little acknowledgement of her hard work, even when her pronunciation improves markedly.
Later in the play, Eliza is again frustrated when her would-be sweetheart Freddie talks about his affection for her in romantic phrases– but keeps his clumsy distance and doesn't kiss her.
"Words! Words!" Eliza explodes. "I am so sick of words! I get words all day through. First from him, now from you! Is that all you blighters can do?"
Then she admonishes him: "Don't talk of stars burning above; if you're in love, show me! Tell me no dreams filled with desire. If you're on fire, show me!"
There is a profound lesson here for sales people, as well as lovers. Or, for that matter, for anyone trying to persuade someone to their point of view. An old proverb says: Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. But involve me, and I'll understand.

There's a profound lesson here for marketers, as well. He goes on to suggest that the four Ps of marketing–product, price, place, and promotion– should be supplemented with a fifth: personal, as in make it personal.

I couldn't agree more. Across the marketing continuum, we're seeing an ever-increasing move to make products and communication more personal. And, in this case, it goes beyond just personalizing a message with a first name or embroidering monograms. Mackay continues:

Plenty of products out there can have a name or monogram stenciled on, from jewelry to towels to furniture. Hundreds of thousands of U.S. businesses offer some level of personalization for their products. And this trend is certainly not slowing due to our ego-centric marketplace.
But to really hit close to home, I'm talking about making things personal by helping people understand how they will be affected. Showing people what a product or service will mean to them. Taking the pitch right to their level, so that it seems the product is made for them and no one else. Because in reality, it is.

How can your products adopt this personal approach? How can your messages take the listener into consideration and truly make it all about them? How can your sales efforts follow this same success strategy? The solution is simple, and it's the one thing we're all designed to do: Listen. As the old saying goes, you have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Use them in proportion to one another.

For more from Harvey Mackay, his last three columns are always archived online.

'Why is my site not showing up for... ?'

2009-10-06T08:16:00.000-07:00

If there is one question, as a Search Engine Optimization professional, I hear more often than not; it's that one.

Nearly each time I start a SEO project, someone from within the organization comes forward with keywords and phrases that they believe everyone is using in search engines to find their product and/or service. After performing their own "field research" they soon want to know, from me, why links to their site do not show up when using those terms in the major search engines.

Generally, the cause can be narrowed to one of two oft-repeated keyword request fallacies:

The ultra-broad or
The extraordinarily specific.

The ultra-broad keyword request.

There was once a client of mine that produced fire door paint. Soon after beginning a comprehensive search engine optimization project he asked me; "Why do we not show up on the first three pages for the term "door"?". I said; "Well, it's because you don't manufacture or sell doors". He replied; "Yes, but aren't there a great deal of people searching using that term? Don't we want to be in front of them?". I told him; "Though that seems to make sense on the surface, the competition for, and diversity of individuals using, that term is immense, containing all of those individuals looking for door-knobs, door hinges, door stops, etc.. The percentage actually looking for fire door paint is relatively small and thus we wouldn't really be going after those most likely to become your customers. Our time (read: money) is surely better spent going after well-targeted potential customers wouldn't you agree?".

Fortunately, he did agree and now enjoys several high-profile listings for similar, yet targeted terms and no longer attracts those searching for example- pet doors.

The extraordinarily specific keyword request.

Another client wanted to know if I could manage it so that they show up favorably for the term "Western Montana Physician Medical Network" (again, pseudo-corp/search term). I replied; "Sure, it's possible- but why would you want to?". They said; "Because it describes us." To which I replied; "Yes, it does, however, you can see from the research that there is no evidence that anyone uses that phrase in search engines. It's not likely to do you any good.". I continued, "Wouldn't you rather show up favorably when users search for; "Billings Doctor Network" or "West Medical Group" each of which are used more than 100 times per month?".

The answer was of course- Yes, followed by an increase in quality traffic that continues to convert to this day.

Each of the above are what I refer to as "vanity terms" and make no mistake, their appeal is easy to understand. It's also easy to understand a clients confusion as it relates to their "importance". Refreshing however, is a client that comes to accept the futility of them on my advice. It's very satisfying not having that questions like that come up again and being able to focus on the real goal; conversions.

Greetings!

2009-09-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

As a man of relatively few words, it is with a dash of reluctance today that I make my foray into the world of blogging. It's not that I resist advances or changes in technology and communication mediums (Easily demonstrated by my having entered the interactive world as long ago as the early nineties) It's just that I happen to be one of the rather humble masses that believe they have little to offer in the way of the written word.

That said, It's been said that what I do write often helps people understand the sometimes difficult concepts familiar to yours truly and, admittedly, I do get a great deal of enjoyment out of doing so. Heck, that alone may very well become my driving force and inspiration, as much of what I do is not completely understood by those for whom I do it.

So, does that outline a plan for me as a new blogger? No, not really. It does, however, lend purpose to my predictably verbose future ramblings- and perhaps that is enough.

All right, well.. Here's looking forward to just that. Cheers!

-Jim Champer (JECJ)

Paint-by-Numbers or Blank Canvas?

2009-07-14T06:41:00.000-07:00

In the April 2009 issue of Inc. magazine, Bo Burlingham interviewed Jim Collins (author of business best-sellers Built to Last and Good to Great) about the current state of entrepreneurship. There are several great insights, including this about the definition. Collins said, "I see entrepreneurship as more of a life concept. We all make choices about how we live our lives. You can take a paint-by-numbers approach, or you can start with a blank canvas. When you paint by numbers, the end result is guaranteed. You know what it's going to be, and it might be good, but it will never be a masterpiece. Starting with a blank canvas is the only way to get a masterpiece, but you could also blow up. So, are you going to pick the paint-by-numbers kit or the blank canvas? That's a life question, not a business question."

The follow-up question was about risk, when Burlingham asked, "It has to do with your ability to handle risk, no?"

Collins replied:

"Not risk. Ambiguity. People confuse the two. There's lower ambiguity on the paint-by-numbers path: very clear but more risky. The entrepreneurial path: very ambiguous but less risk. Of course, the truth is that it's all ambiguous, anyway. If you think you can predict the future, you're crazy."

So, the question for you is, are you trying to create something good, or are you working on a masterpiece?

Four keys to great public speaking

2009-05-08T06:07:00.000-07:00

Nick Morgan, founder of Public Words, Inc., is a former Fellow of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and one of America's top communication and speech coaches. He's penned a new manifesto with for keys for turning any public speaking engagement into an opportunity to change the world. (After all, isn't that the point?)

Morgan thinks most speeches are awful because:

Speeches are awful because speakers make it about them instead of the audience
Speakers don't take their audience on a journey
Speakers don't rehearse
Speakers think about their content but not their body language

He then offers simple, practical advice that I wish everyone would read, take to heart, and put to use before they stand before us and subject us to "Death by Powerpoint."

[Download "Before You Open Your Mouth: The Keys to Great Public Speaking"]

How David beats Goliath (more often than you think)

2009-05-07T05:15:00.001-07:00

Underdogs win a lot more often than you think. Malcolm Gladwell explains how.

We're all familiar with the story of David and Goliath, where David stood before the giant of the Philistines and survived to tell about it. For forty days, Goliath had been dispensing soldiers with relative ease, until David came along. David rose to the challenge and, at first, girded himself with a helmet and mail and sword. But David recognized that waging this battle using conventional warfare would be suicide against Goliath. So he changed his strategy to take advantage of this strengths.

Malcolm Gladwell, in an article for The New Yorker, argues that this simple act of adjusting strategy is the key for weaker opponents – the Davids – to win against foes that greatly overpower them. He tells a compelling story of Vivek Ranadivé, who took on the job of coaching his daughters woeful basketball team, a bunch of “little blond girls” from Menlo Park, daughters of computer programmers. He says, “They weren’t all that tall. They couldn’t shoot. They weren’t particularly adept at dribbling. They were not the sort who played pickup games at the playground every evening.” Yet he was able to take them from obscurity to a national championship by changing the way they played: Instead of playing to the strengths of opponents, the adopted a relentless full-court press strategy and crushed the better-abled competition.

Gladwell suggests successes of this type aren't all that uncommon. In fact, political scientist Ivan Arreguín-Toft recently looked at every war fought in the past two hundred years between strong and weak combatants. The Goliaths, he found, won in 71.5 per cent of the cases. Thinking about the original David, who took off the heavy, unfamiliar armor and picked up five smooth stones, Arreguín-Toft wondered, when the underdogs likewise acknowledged their weakness and chose an unconventional strategy? He went back and re-analyzed his data. In those cases, David’s winning percentage went from 28.5 to 63.6. When underdogs choose not to play by Goliath’s rules, they win, Arreguín-Toft concluded, “even when everything we think we know about power says they shouldn’t.”

Which begs the question, what should you be doing to change the game to play to your strengths?

[Read Gladwell's article, "How David Beats Goliath"]

Swine Flu Primer

2009-04-27T05:46:00.000-07:00

I was involved in several conversations over the weekend with folks from Harvard Medical School and Staywell Consumer Health Publishing about the current swine flu outbreak. It's becoming increasingly clear that this epidemic – now found in Mexico, the United States, Canada, and Spain – has broken through to be called a pandemic.

Indications are that most of the cases that have spread beyond Mexico's border, like the school in Queens, NY, or the cases across Spain, have been the result of travel to and from specific regions within Mexico. But with the introduction of NAFTA years ago, the amount of business travel to Mexico has increased greatly and we can expect these cases to continue showing up across the country.

At this point, while the death toll in Mexico climbs, the US health care system has been able to deal with the disease. How long we can control both the severity and spread remains to be seen, of course, but there are some can do to prepare and prevent swine flu from hitting home.

Harvard Medical School offers an overview on their site of things each of us need to know, as well as a more complete Special Health Report covering swine flu in detail:

[How to protect yourself (and your loved ones) from swine flu]

[Get the Swine Flu Special Health Report]

Jessica G. asks, 'Please disregard my previous email(s)...'

2009-04-14T11:11:00.000-07:00

So this morning I received an email from Jessica G. at Donatos Pizza informing me of the April specials for Donatos catering. I didn't recall ever asking to receive this information, but hey, things happen right? I glanced at it and trashed it. A few minutes later I got another one. And then another. And another. At last count, I had received the same message at least seven times. Ooops. Looks like someone is learning how to use their new email software (at my expense.)

Then I realized that the messages actually included in the To: field all of the intended recipients, and there were *a lot.* Some names I know and recognize, others I don't, but I got that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach thinking about all the mail I would likely get from this hackneyed inclusion. (Best practice tip: Never send an email to several people unless you put the recipients in the blind carbon copy [BCC] field.)

A couple hours went by, and then I got this gem:

From: Jessica G.

To: (Me and everyone else on the original list)

Subj: Recall: April Specials from Donatos Catering

Jessica would like to recall the message, "April Specials from Donatos Catering".

Oh, Jessica. Poor lass. I feel your pain. How many of us have wished, at one point or another, that we could recall an email we'd previously sent? Unfortunately, the Internet (and, in many ways, life) doesn't work that way. Generally, once you hit "Send" it's sent. I suppose you could try calling each of the recipients and asking them to "Please disregard the email message I sent to you and hundreds of other people seven times this morning."

In the end, however, you're probably better off just forgetting it and hoping that the rest of us do, too. I hate to think of the ill will that was created toward Donatos Catering by this unfortunate turn of events, but people generally have short memories and will (eventually) forgive and forget.

(So you should probably stop sending me the message about recalling your message. Three times is enough.)

Web Review: Vimeo Shows Off Creative Pedigree

2009-03-03T10:23:00.000-08:00

Most people are aware of video-sharing site YouTube. In fact, it would be hard to have missed its meteoric rise as a household Internet name. But there are other sites out there providing similar services, some of which are just plain better.

In this article, I explore the world of video sharing online and call attention to two sites you should know about: Vimeo and blip.tv.

[Read the article]

[Visit Vimeo]

[Visit blip.tv]