So the Democrats in the Massachusetts House of Representatives have decided that having the Governor appoint an interim U.S. Senator to replace the late Ted Kennedy is a good idea after all. No doubt their colleagues in the state Senate will follow suit, thus bringing Massachusetts full circle: from the state that first rebelled against tyranny to the state where tyranny rules.
In case you missed it, the Democrat-dominated legislature was quick to yank the long-standing privilege of appointing interim U.S. Senator away from then-Governor Mitt Romney (a Republican) when it appeared that John Kerry might win the Democratic nomination for President in 2008. They cried "foul" when faced with the prospect of Romney appointing a fellow Republican if the seat became vacant. Better to wait for a special election, the Dems said.
But now, with a Democrat back in the Governor's office, things suddenly look different. Why wait for a special election when you are virtually guaranteed that a Democrat will replace Kennedy? This is what happens when one party is so dominant that they feel no need to actually represent the people who elect them.
How bad is it? The House of Representatives actually considered passing a law that would require Governor Deval Patrick to appoint a Democrat with his newly restored power. It was narrowly defeated.
What arrogance! But what can you expect from a group that is so secure in its position and so self-centered that it simply ignored an overwhelming statewide referendum calling for a rollback of a "temporary" tax hike enacted several years ago.
The Democrats in Massachusetts (and, indeed, across the country) feel that they know what is good for us better than we know ourselves. And they are willing to ram it down our throats. Tyranny, thy name is Massachusetts.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Recession's over? Now what?
In case you have not heard, the recession is over and economic activity is on the rebound. What? Your business is not booming again? Customers are still hard to come by?
Join the club. While Wall Street may be on an upswing, it will be several months before any semblance of "normal" returns to Main Street.
But that does not mean you should sit back and wait. Just the opposite, in fact. Now is the time to launch a preemptive marketing strike aimed at recapturing lost customers and conquering new ones.
The mood of the country is definitely shifting, and tightened purse strings will surely loosen somewhat. But painful memories of the recession will linger and cause consumers (including business-to-business customers) to be more prudent and cautious. All the more reason to be aggressive with your marketing.
Putting your name, products and services in front of potential customers now will better position your company for the time when customers do start spending again. In fact, acting now will leave you a less crowded field, as timid competitors try to tiptoe through the next few months without making any impact on the market.
Be bold and loud and consistent today and you'll be the one buyers choose when they start writing checks again.
Join the club. While Wall Street may be on an upswing, it will be several months before any semblance of "normal" returns to Main Street.
But that does not mean you should sit back and wait. Just the opposite, in fact. Now is the time to launch a preemptive marketing strike aimed at recapturing lost customers and conquering new ones.
The mood of the country is definitely shifting, and tightened purse strings will surely loosen somewhat. But painful memories of the recession will linger and cause consumers (including business-to-business customers) to be more prudent and cautious. All the more reason to be aggressive with your marketing.
Putting your name, products and services in front of potential customers now will better position your company for the time when customers do start spending again. In fact, acting now will leave you a less crowded field, as timid competitors try to tiptoe through the next few months without making any impact on the market.
Be bold and loud and consistent today and you'll be the one buyers choose when they start writing checks again.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
A (New) Word About Travel
Taking a detour from marketing and advertising, I would like to pass along two observations about travel. More specifically, travelers.
I recently returned from a short trip to Colorado to visit my son. Part of the fun of travel is observing the people around you. Many are out of their element and on their best behavior while traveling. For others, travel brings out the worst. Here are two examples of the latter.
While waiting for a flight in Denver, my wife an I treated ourselves to ice cream. At the table next to ours was a middle aged woman, cautiously guarding her "carry on" luggage, the likes of which exceeded the baggage train of a small army. But what made this woman stand out was her advanced communications skills.
Talking into a cell phone crammed between shoulder and ear, she whined endlessly (at least for the ten minutes we sat there) about how horrible it was to fly, how late her flights were, etc., etc. At the same time, she was texting furiously on a BlackBerry. Doubtless she was enthralling some other poor slob with the same complaints in text form.
In fact, I invented a new word for what that miserable woman was doing: KVEXTING. It is a combination of kvetching and texting. Try it sometime when you have too many friends and want to drop one from your list of favorites.
The second fellow traveler who got my attention (and raised my blood pressure) was also at the Denver airport. This "queen of all air travelers," also a middle aged woman, arrived at the boarding gate in a wheelchair, being pushed by one of the airport skycaps. She painfully and slowly eased herself from the wheelchair to a seat in the waiting area, as the skycap unloaded her trunk-size duffle bag.
Initially, my heart went out to the woman. It must have been very difficult and challenging to travel when she was obviously in such pain, with limited mobility.
My opinion changed pretty dramatically when, once the skycap was out of sight, the woman hopped up and ran lightly over to the ticket counter, leaping over a couple of bags on the way. She was a faker! The woman continued to stroll around the waiting area, talking loudly on her cell phone, while waiting for the flight.
Just prior to boarding, a new skycap arrived with another wheelchair. The "queen" had summoned her chariot! Suddenly the pain and laborious movement returned. She even went so far as to tell the skycap that she could not lift her carry on bag, "Because I have a disability."
When was the last time you heard anyone with a genuine disability say, out loud, "I have a disability."??? My blood was starting to boil.
Naturally, this poor, disabled woman was allowed to board ahead of everybody else. And the flight crew, no doubt, had to help her load her carry on "trunk" into the overhead storage bin. After all, the woman had "a disability!"
There is no doubt in my mind that this woman was pretending to be disabled simply to gain an advantage over other travelers. Was she lazy? Cunning? Or simply so fabulously egotistical that she thought it was OK to use up valuable services that should have been going to those truly in need of the help?
The good news is that 99% of the people we spent our travel time with were friendly, engaging, patient and understanding. It is a shame that a few bad apples can have such a deleterious effect on the rest.
But I still like the idea of "kvexting."
I recently returned from a short trip to Colorado to visit my son. Part of the fun of travel is observing the people around you. Many are out of their element and on their best behavior while traveling. For others, travel brings out the worst. Here are two examples of the latter.
While waiting for a flight in Denver, my wife an I treated ourselves to ice cream. At the table next to ours was a middle aged woman, cautiously guarding her "carry on" luggage, the likes of which exceeded the baggage train of a small army. But what made this woman stand out was her advanced communications skills.
Talking into a cell phone crammed between shoulder and ear, she whined endlessly (at least for the ten minutes we sat there) about how horrible it was to fly, how late her flights were, etc., etc. At the same time, she was texting furiously on a BlackBerry. Doubtless she was enthralling some other poor slob with the same complaints in text form.
In fact, I invented a new word for what that miserable woman was doing: KVEXTING. It is a combination of kvetching and texting. Try it sometime when you have too many friends and want to drop one from your list of favorites.
The second fellow traveler who got my attention (and raised my blood pressure) was also at the Denver airport. This "queen of all air travelers," also a middle aged woman, arrived at the boarding gate in a wheelchair, being pushed by one of the airport skycaps. She painfully and slowly eased herself from the wheelchair to a seat in the waiting area, as the skycap unloaded her trunk-size duffle bag.
Initially, my heart went out to the woman. It must have been very difficult and challenging to travel when she was obviously in such pain, with limited mobility.
My opinion changed pretty dramatically when, once the skycap was out of sight, the woman hopped up and ran lightly over to the ticket counter, leaping over a couple of bags on the way. She was a faker! The woman continued to stroll around the waiting area, talking loudly on her cell phone, while waiting for the flight.
Just prior to boarding, a new skycap arrived with another wheelchair. The "queen" had summoned her chariot! Suddenly the pain and laborious movement returned. She even went so far as to tell the skycap that she could not lift her carry on bag, "Because I have a disability."
When was the last time you heard anyone with a genuine disability say, out loud, "I have a disability."??? My blood was starting to boil.
Naturally, this poor, disabled woman was allowed to board ahead of everybody else. And the flight crew, no doubt, had to help her load her carry on "trunk" into the overhead storage bin. After all, the woman had "a disability!"
There is no doubt in my mind that this woman was pretending to be disabled simply to gain an advantage over other travelers. Was she lazy? Cunning? Or simply so fabulously egotistical that she thought it was OK to use up valuable services that should have been going to those truly in need of the help?
The good news is that 99% of the people we spent our travel time with were friendly, engaging, patient and understanding. It is a shame that a few bad apples can have such a deleterious effect on the rest.
But I still like the idea of "kvexting."
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Is Twitter for Twits?
Do you Twitter? Should you Twitter?
The debate rages on about whether Twitter is a legitimate communications tool with staying power, or simply a passing fad that lets the ADD generation think they are having meaningful conversations with the world. The "Pet Rock" for the new millennium.
We won't know about the lasting value of Twitter for quite some time yet. But that does not mean you can afford to ignore it. Anything that exhibits such extraordinary growth (475,000 users to 19 million users in less than a year!) must have something to offer.
And, be honest, if you are 45 or older you thought this e-mail thing was just a passing fancy, too.
I believe that Twitter can be effective when used in concert with other communications tools, such as Facebook, blogs and web sites.
For example, I am big fan of blogging, as it fulfills the role once played by newsletters, only with more frequency and timeliness. (Not to mention less paper and ink and postage.) Whenever I post a new entry to the blog you are reading (www.agoodmind.blogspot.com), I alert my "followers" with a "tweet" and link to the new missive.
Similarly, every new blog entry gets posted to my Facebook page. I want as many people as possible to have access to the information I am sharing.
So Twitter is not necessarily limited to inane, voyeuristic, nihilistic updates about every waking moment in a tweeter's life. Used properly, Twitter can serve as another channel for distributing information and ideas, quickly and efficiently.
Tweet that!
The debate rages on about whether Twitter is a legitimate communications tool with staying power, or simply a passing fad that lets the ADD generation think they are having meaningful conversations with the world. The "Pet Rock" for the new millennium.
We won't know about the lasting value of Twitter for quite some time yet. But that does not mean you can afford to ignore it. Anything that exhibits such extraordinary growth (475,000 users to 19 million users in less than a year!) must have something to offer.
And, be honest, if you are 45 or older you thought this e-mail thing was just a passing fancy, too.
I believe that Twitter can be effective when used in concert with other communications tools, such as Facebook, blogs and web sites.
For example, I am big fan of blogging, as it fulfills the role once played by newsletters, only with more frequency and timeliness. (Not to mention less paper and ink and postage.) Whenever I post a new entry to the blog you are reading (www.agoodmind.blogspot.com), I alert my "followers" with a "tweet" and link to the new missive.
Similarly, every new blog entry gets posted to my Facebook page. I want as many people as possible to have access to the information I am sharing.
So Twitter is not necessarily limited to inane, voyeuristic, nihilistic updates about every waking moment in a tweeter's life. Used properly, Twitter can serve as another channel for distributing information and ideas, quickly and efficiently.
Tweet that!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
A Tasty Option
I am constantly finding new and interesting ways to use the web. OK, so maybe I am late to the party on many of them. But I still think there are some simple things that the web does so much better than anything else.
Map directions, for one. Looking up zip codes. And now, making restaurant reservations.
I recently stumbled across OpenTable, a really cool site that let's you find a restaurant and make a reservation without having to look up a phone number, get put on hold for ten minutes, then speak to a bored host or hostess who will probably get your name wrong and write down the wrong time or date.
Give OpenTable a try next time you are planning a dinner out.
Map directions, for one. Looking up zip codes. And now, making restaurant reservations.
I recently stumbled across OpenTable, a really cool site that let's you find a restaurant and make a reservation without having to look up a phone number, get put on hold for ten minutes, then speak to a bored host or hostess who will probably get your name wrong and write down the wrong time or date.
Give OpenTable a try next time you are planning a dinner out.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Succeeding in the Long Run
I am training for a marathon (again). I have run several marathons in the past, but each one is a new challenge. This one is the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC, at the end of October.
Why am I writing about it now? Because I am about to begin a 16 week training program that includes progressively longer runs and additional workouts to build my strength and endurance. It starts with a simple, easy 4 mile run and concludes with the 26.2 mile marathon.
Notice that I will not start out by running 20 miles right away. That would be foolish, as I am unprepared at this time to handle such a long run. Instead, I will gradually build up to longer distances and faster paces over 16 weeks.
There is a marketing lesson here. Do you find yourself thinking (or even saying out loud), "We need a huge sale right now." Or, "We'd better sign a big new client this month or else!"
While it is great to have lofty goals and big objectives, you can't knock them down right out of the box. Marketing is like marathon running. You need to take the smaller steps first so that you will be able to tackle the big run at the right time.
Just as my series of shorter runs performed consistently over several months will prepare me for 26.2 miles in October, your marketing effort must consist of interim objectives and smaller successes on the road to "the big one."
Strangely enough, you might find that all the "little wins" add up quickly and can even be more satisfying than completing one big sale or capturing a single large client.
Why am I writing about it now? Because I am about to begin a 16 week training program that includes progressively longer runs and additional workouts to build my strength and endurance. It starts with a simple, easy 4 mile run and concludes with the 26.2 mile marathon.
Notice that I will not start out by running 20 miles right away. That would be foolish, as I am unprepared at this time to handle such a long run. Instead, I will gradually build up to longer distances and faster paces over 16 weeks.
There is a marketing lesson here. Do you find yourself thinking (or even saying out loud), "We need a huge sale right now." Or, "We'd better sign a big new client this month or else!"
While it is great to have lofty goals and big objectives, you can't knock them down right out of the box. Marketing is like marathon running. You need to take the smaller steps first so that you will be able to tackle the big run at the right time.
Just as my series of shorter runs performed consistently over several months will prepare me for 26.2 miles in October, your marketing effort must consist of interim objectives and smaller successes on the road to "the big one."
Strangely enough, you might find that all the "little wins" add up quickly and can even be more satisfying than completing one big sale or capturing a single large client.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Giving Away the Store
For many years I have encouraged my clients to "share your knowledge" as an effective form of marketing. Tell people what you know - demonstrate your expertise - and they will be more likely to remember you when they need your services or products.
That approach to marketing is more prevalent and more effective than ever, thanks in large part to the explosion of more direct channels of distribution. Years ago the "sharing" was done on a limited basis, through articles that we managed to get published, white papers and newsletters. Now my clients share what they know through blogs, on Facebook, with self-published e-books, via e-mail blasts - there are ten times as many options today.
Still, some are still reluctant to "give away the store" by providing too much information for free. They are afraid that, by anticipating and answering questions and offering problem-solving solutions, they will obviate the need for a prospective client to hire them.
Nonsense! Sharing what you know is simply proof of expertise in advance. It allows a potential customer a glimpse into how you think, and what your area (or areas) of expertise might be. Consider this "show and tell" as an audition that could lead to a starring role.
That approach to marketing is more prevalent and more effective than ever, thanks in large part to the explosion of more direct channels of distribution. Years ago the "sharing" was done on a limited basis, through articles that we managed to get published, white papers and newsletters. Now my clients share what they know through blogs, on Facebook, with self-published e-books, via e-mail blasts - there are ten times as many options today.
Still, some are still reluctant to "give away the store" by providing too much information for free. They are afraid that, by anticipating and answering questions and offering problem-solving solutions, they will obviate the need for a prospective client to hire them.
Nonsense! Sharing what you know is simply proof of expertise in advance. It allows a potential customer a glimpse into how you think, and what your area (or areas) of expertise might be. Consider this "show and tell" as an audition that could lead to a starring role.
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