I have added a new poll to Pet Peeving. I'm curious to know if your view of China has changed positively or negatively as a result of China hosting the Olympics. Feel free to share your comments below.
RSS READERS - Please go to http://www.petpeeving.com to take the poll.
Lasting Last Impressions
A fable....
I was at the mall the other day wondering if something like this ever happens. Then it occurred to me that if you have the opportunity in business to make the last impression, make it a positive experience. Your competitors may not have made an impression at all - positive or negative. It's your chance to move in and take the king position in the marketing four-square game. It's also good to think about return customers.
David was wrapping up his lunch at the food court inside Hill Wood Mall. Kids had already started back to school so the foot traffic was light but there was still a steady stream of moms, grandmothers, and baby strollers making there way in and out of the stores. David had hit the lunch crowd at just the wrong time and he was hungry.
Trying to decide which vendor he would buy food at quickly became a decision of who had the shortest line. It was the Big Apple Pizzeria.
The meal wasn't extraordinary and wasn't anything to be remembered but it was good nonetheless. It served its purpose by filling David's appetite.
As he enjoyed his meal he noticed that several of the vendors were handing out samples of their food. The Japanese Kitchen, the Sub Shop, and The Sombrero were all competing for people's attention as they walked by. David thought he would have liked some Japanese food.
Once he finished his meal, he went to get a refill in his Big Apple Pizzeria cup. Then he rounded the food court venue to the Japanese Kitchen where a man in a red chef's hat was holding a tray of chicken with toothpicks, giving away free samples.
To the gentleman in the chef's hat, it was obvious David had already eaten. He was holding a cup that was not from his establishment. As David approached, he turned and looked for someone else. Someone who hasn't eaten. This gentleman was looking for a customer.
David stepped up to the man and said "May I try one?"
The worker ignored him, still searching for other customers. So, David asked again, "Excuse me, could I have a bite?"
"No" replied the worker, "You already eat."
So, David left wondering if he would eat Japanese the next time he came to visit.
I was at the mall the other day wondering if something like this ever happens. Then it occurred to me that if you have the opportunity in business to make the last impression, make it a positive experience. Your competitors may not have made an impression at all - positive or negative. It's your chance to move in and take the king position in the marketing four-square game. It's also good to think about return customers.
What would you buy next?
I really like Amazon. As an online store they really make shopping personal and fun for me. I'll admit that it took me a while to warm up and trust them to the point that I am fully engrossed in all of their tools.
Their site really strives to learn my preferences and the things I like, which I appreciate. However, sometimes I find it humorous what is served up for me to view. For example, I was viewing the Kindle, an electronic wireless device that allows you to download and read books, newspapers, and more. Then as Amazon does best, they showed me what other customers buy after viewing the Kindle. Take a look at the screen shot below.
The Potty Train? Really? Maybe Kindle should add that to it's 150,000 book database.
Their site really strives to learn my preferences and the things I like, which I appreciate. However, sometimes I find it humorous what is served up for me to view. For example, I was viewing the Kindle, an electronic wireless device that allows you to download and read books, newspapers, and more. Then as Amazon does best, they showed me what other customers buy after viewing the Kindle. Take a look at the screen shot below.
The Potty Train? Really? Maybe Kindle should add that to it's 150,000 book database.
Redemption is coming with the Redeem Team
I grew up loving basketball. It didn't matter who was playing, college or professional. I loved to watch basketball. Then something happened. The NBA went to pot. The players began to wreck the image of the NBA. The ridiculous amounts of tattoos, the fights, the off the court situations, and more. For the last several years I have not even watched the NBA finals, because their game play emphasized individual performances.
I was a big fan of the Dream Team that went to the Olympics. I loved watching Jordan, Magic, Bird, Stockton, etc... Looking back, that might have been the last great moment for the NBA in my book. Most of the players had character and were likable. They were good players too.
This year at the Beijing Olympics, the NBA players representing the U.S.A. have become known as the "Redeem Team", hoping to take back gold. They are living up to their name. Only, I think they are living up to their names in more ways than one.
Repeatedly, I have seen NBC capture images of the players watching the other athletes perform. Like watching Micheal Phelps swimming exhibition and the May/Walsh beach volleyball poundings. I even listened as Kobe Bryant gave an interview in Spanish, something that I had no idea he could do. The players have shown respect on the court and have been playing better as a team. I've been briefly reminded of the NBA days of old.
NBA commissioner, David Stern, would do well to take this momentum and continue showing his players as people, rather than commodities. Let those of us who left our televisions see the players in a new light and we might come back to watch. We may even spend some of our money to do it.
However, I have to wonder if Coach K has something to do with this "redeeming" quality. I imagine he has some influence. Perhaps he should become commissioner and install this new image. That should say a lot coming from a Tarheel fan!
I was a big fan of the Dream Team that went to the Olympics. I loved watching Jordan, Magic, Bird, Stockton, etc... Looking back, that might have been the last great moment for the NBA in my book. Most of the players had character and were likable. They were good players too.
This year at the Beijing Olympics, the NBA players representing the U.S.A. have become known as the "Redeem Team", hoping to take back gold. They are living up to their name. Only, I think they are living up to their names in more ways than one.
Repeatedly, I have seen NBC capture images of the players watching the other athletes perform. Like watching Micheal Phelps swimming exhibition and the May/Walsh beach volleyball poundings. I even listened as Kobe Bryant gave an interview in Spanish, something that I had no idea he could do. The players have shown respect on the court and have been playing better as a team. I've been briefly reminded of the NBA days of old.
NBA commissioner, David Stern, would do well to take this momentum and continue showing his players as people, rather than commodities. Let those of us who left our televisions see the players in a new light and we might come back to watch. We may even spend some of our money to do it.
However, I have to wonder if Coach K has something to do with this "redeeming" quality. I imagine he has some influence. Perhaps he should become commissioner and install this new image. That should say a lot coming from a Tarheel fan!
The Back of the Napkin
It was a nice day outside to enjoy lunch and a book. Ironically, the book I finished at lunch was The Back of the Napkin by Dan Roam.
I first saw this book on the book shelf of the local book store a few months ago. It caught my attention because I like to doodle. I had a lot of other books to get to, so it wasn't until recently that I ordered it from Amazon. I enjoyed it a lot. I'm glad I bought it.
The premise of the book is that any problem, idea, or presentation can be solved using pictures - hand drawn pictures. Roam argues that everyone is visual, even those who say they aren't. He gives a few frameworks to work from as you prepare to draw out maps, charts, and pictures to present your ideas. I found them very helpful and refreshing. Roam also uses pictures significantly throughout the book which are also helpful.
In addition to Dan Roam saying that hand drawn pictures are more powerful than PowerPoint, Stephanie Palmer in her book Good in a Room, also argues the same thing. My experience has been that they are both right. It really is much more captivating and easier to remember when I watch people draw out ideas in front of me rather than looking at a pretty computer generated graphic.
I first saw this book on the book shelf of the local book store a few months ago. It caught my attention because I like to doodle. I had a lot of other books to get to, so it wasn't until recently that I ordered it from Amazon. I enjoyed it a lot. I'm glad I bought it.
The premise of the book is that any problem, idea, or presentation can be solved using pictures - hand drawn pictures. Roam argues that everyone is visual, even those who say they aren't. He gives a few frameworks to work from as you prepare to draw out maps, charts, and pictures to present your ideas. I found them very helpful and refreshing. Roam also uses pictures significantly throughout the book which are also helpful.
In addition to Dan Roam saying that hand drawn pictures are more powerful than PowerPoint, Stephanie Palmer in her book Good in a Room, also argues the same thing. My experience has been that they are both right. It really is much more captivating and easier to remember when I watch people draw out ideas in front of me rather than looking at a pretty computer generated graphic.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)