How many of us have experienced a time when everything seemed to go wrong simultaneously? You know…take a step forward and step on a nail. Move forward, watching your next step this time, and hit your head on a low hanging plant– which incidentally– swings off the hook and falls on your foot. You understand what I’m talking about, right?
Archive for December, 2008
2008? We could all use some encouragement.
Monday, December 29th, 2008Don’t Fear the Storm. Dance in the Rain.
Wednesday, December 24th, 2008
A few days ago I was doing some family history research and came upon my grandfather’s Union Prayer Book, presented to him in 1928 on what must have been his bar mitzvah. At least the year 1928 works out appropriately for it to have been that occasion. Inscribed inside the front cover is a message from someone whose name has faded from the page . It reads, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” Again, the year was 1928– what a storm 1929 brought in the Great Depression.
Today is 2008. What a storm 2009 will surely bring. James Thurber said, “All men should strive to learn before they die, what they are running from, and to, and why.” Do you want to know the answers to these questions? Because part of learning to dance in the storm is to know what you want, what you are afraid of and most of all…why. (more…)
People are capable of much
Monday, December 15th, 2008
In 1948, James Michener won the Pulitzer Prize for his book, Tales of the South Pacific. Throughout his life he authored more than 40 novels and earned more than one hundred million dollars. At age 88, Michener wrote, “When young people in my writing classes ask what subjects they should study to become writers, I surprise them by replying, “Ceramics and eurhythmic dancing.” When they look surprised I explain, “Ceramics so you can feel form evolving through your fingertips molding the moist clay, and eurhythmic dancing so you can experience the flow of motion through your body. You might develop a sense of freedom that way.”
It’s unlikely that any of his students ever took those classes. They just thought, “Form and freedom. I get it,” and carried on as they were, unchanged. But what if Michener was serious? His advice to his students was to push themselves to do things that didn’t come naturally to them. He urged them to stir the deep waters of the unconscious mind. (more…)
What good are leads if no one is buying?
Thursday, December 11th, 2008
When we implement a website or an on-line marketing campaign for a client, I always make sure that I am copied personally on any correspondence that goes through from a potential customer to one of our clients. This is especially helpful in a number of different ways but foremost, it allows me to keep an eye on website activity and specifically, lead generation. One thing that has been apparent in the last couple of months is that direct leads are down– but they aren’t “out.” In fact, I had lunch yesterday with a potential new client who reads this blog regularly and picked up the phone to talk about her business. So let’s take a look at lead generation and how to be smarter in today’s economy. (more…)
“Once again, we eat the sowing seed.”
Sunday, December 7th, 2008
“Once again, we eat the sowing seed.” I am attributing this quote to popular astronomer and author, Carl Sagan when asked to comment on NASA budget cuts during the recession of 1972. Whether it was Sagan or not is not the point– the point is “the eating of the sowing seed.” What is the sowing seed? It is the seed that is held back for replanting to grow future crops. Without “sowing seed” there is no future crop to harvest because those seeds weren’t planted. In Sagan’s illustration, we were eating for today what should have been planted for tomorrow.
NOW/TODAY is the time to build relationships with your customers. Consumers and businesses are tightening their belts and their budgets, but marketers need to look at today’s recession economy as an opportunity. Now is the ideal time to ramp up your efforts and build stronger relationships with your customers. (more…)