PLI TrendBlog

The Question Is "Why am I here?"

2009-06-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

Seth Godin's blog post this morning zeroes in on a less than metaphysical, but no less important approach to the seminal question, "Why am I here?".

I know there are a lot of people out there who attend conferences, business expos, lunches, networking events on the "Because I can" principle. The company's paying for it. I'll see friends from other companies. I need to be seen there. It'll boost my ego to be recognized. It'll get me out of the office or away from my desk. It's just a few hours. It's free or doesn't cost much. I'm sure I'll pick up something new or make some new business connections. On and on.

So, you go.

I am no longer surprised that at every event I do attend where people are invited to introduce themselves, not only do they not have a concise, interesting introduction about themselves and their company, they don't bother to stand, don't speak clearly or loudly enough for people to hear them. Are they ashamed or embarrassed by what they do? Are they devaluing what they do and consequently, don't think anyone will find value in it? Or, do they just not view themselves as a knowledgeable, valuable resource to others? What?

It is your job to promote your company and yourself as an authority representing that company. Speak up! Be proud of what you do! Screw up your courage and just do it! Otherwise, don't go or send someone else who can do the job.

After all these years, I still break out in a sweat in anticipation, but I will always take advantage of every opportunity to let people know who I am and what I do. I'll be the first to volunteer to be the guinea pig up on stage. I'll always stand to introduce myself regardless of whether anyone else does or not. I will always speak in a clear, confident voice that carries to the whole crowd. And, I will always seek to have to clearest, most concise, tailored introduction to my business that is possible.

Have fun, but as Seth says, "...do something. Loud, now, and memorable."

Relating to your Mailing List vs your Facebook Network of Friends - Bourland.com

2009-04-03T13:45:00.000-07:00

I guess I've been living under a rock lately as I missed the sad news of Andy Bourland's passing. Andy was just a great person who also happened to be one of the founders of ClickZ, along with Ann Handley. So, today when I had a little time after Web2.0 Expo and before Startup Weekend, I decided to go down memory lane a little as my personal service to remember Andy.

After reading the last posts to his blog, Bourland.com by his older brother and his wife, Jeanne, I tiptoes through many of his past posts that reminded me of his wonderful, humanistic approach to the InterWeb.

True to form are his observations in Relating to your Mailing List vs your Facebook Network of Friends - Bourland.com. Do yourself a favor and take the approximately 5.5 minutes to watch Andy speak with joy and wonder about what Facebook meant to him.

I started thinking about how the vast majority of us haven't begun to leverage the great tools of Facebook to have a more real, meaningful, and substantive relationship with our network of colleagues, clients, customers, and professional friends in our many networks. So many of us kind of get caught up in amassing followers, connections and then, neglecting to build on that in a real way. Others seem to use Facebook and other social media outlets as a public address system to make one breathless announcement after another. The first is directionless, the second is uni-directional. Both are completely counter-intuitive to how the Web2.0 experience was envisioned. Why are we using all these new tools in all the old ways?

One resolution I have made is to use it to connect more directly with those who are my customers. I just hope they want to connect with me! I will keep you posted on how I plan to go about accomplishing this.

I would really love to learn your thoughts about this.

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VitaminWater Launches Primetime Facebook Promotion

2009-03-19T22:51:00.000-07:00

VitaminWater Launches Primetime Facebook Promotion during the NCAA Tournament coverage on CBS tonight. This could be considered a watershed event and a huge endorsement of the new Facebook public profile redesign.

This conjures a real "remember when" recollection of the commercials on TV where companies first displayed their Website addresses and the voiceover was very careful to enunciate the entire URL, including 'back slash, back slash.'

With Jason Calacanis challenging Twitter with new offer to Twitter: $500,000 for three years for @questions as a suggested user in the sign-up process, it's becoming a very interesting and exciting time. Never can tell what might happen next!

Stay tuned!

I love online marketing in all its permutations!

"The Value of an Email Address to a Knowledgeable Marketer Is $118."

2009-03-17T16:21:00.000-07:00

According to Stan Rapp, the father of direct marketing, email marketing is poised to make great strides in this recession as noted by G. Simms Jenkins in the article, iMedia Connection: 10 ways to prepare for the coming email boom.

From our anecdotal evidence, companies are sending more emails these days. Online ecommerce companies are appealing to online bargain hunters with great deals promoted through their emails. Financial services companies are reassuring their clients, their broker networks, their internal clients via more frequent and thoughtful emails.

Our clients are extremely conscientious about sending relevant emails only to opted in recipients, but there are far fewer instances of misdirected requests to be removed. People want the information they're receiving.

Simms has done a great job of pulling it all together here and saving me the time of duplicating the effort!

I am in complete agreement that other newer social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, Friendfeed, Flickr, MySpace, LinkedIn, XING, etc. are wonderful for generating conversation and buzz, but also for driving people to your Website where you can capture their email addresses and really reach them in a substantive, extended (but not too much!), and uninterrupted way.

Just make sure that Website is ready for it!

We'd love to talk to you about how we bring it all together in one place, with the technology to manage your contacts and all relevant information, e.g. their Website purchases, as well as the ability to develop and execute a comprehensive strategy that ensures your Website is up to snuff and working with all the most relevant social media for your business.

Drop us an email!

But, first, read Simms article and let me know what you think!

Facebook, Twitter And Yammer Are Not Replacing Email, Rather They Are Subservient To Email | AttentionMax

2009-03-16T16:02:00.000-07:00

Facebook, Twitter And Yammer Are Not Replacing Email, Rather They Are Subservient To Email | AttentionMax

It's always thrilling when someone who might be regarded as more of an authority, more "in the know", confirms what I've been saying for, like, ever.

I've been talking about the perennial power of email for more than eight years and am so excited that it is even more relevant today than eight years ago when I was on the bleeding edge and the blood was mine!

Thanks, Max!

Thank you for so beautifully putting it all in perspective.

Please hit me up with your comments, opinions, etc. I'm really interested in learning what you think.

Publish or Perish

2009-03-04T21:53:00.000-08:00

It's not that I haven't had any ideas or opinions to write about. Heaven and my friends know that i'm never lacking for opinions nor shy about expressing them. Nearly every day I'm brought up short by an idea that I tell myself I should write about. The truth? I've just been lax, lazy if you will.

But, we are moving more and more into developing and executing comprehensive social media marketing strategies to complement email marketing for a variety of clients. The time for "Do as I say, not as I do" is over and "Do as I do" is the new mantra. And, really, how can you expect prospective clients to believe you know what you're talking about if you aren't doing it for your own company?

We're really excited about all the plans in the pipeline and I hope you'll be free with your comments, suggestions, and criticisms. I promise to keep you up-to-date on what's going on over here.

By the way, the post that's dated December 15th was just posted ahead of this by a few minutes. Obviously, our timeline stretched for the launch of the new Venntive.com website, but it really is getting launched this month, March and we are definitely psyched.

"Markets are conversations."

2008-12-15T15:17:00.000-08:00

Markets are conversations."

Humans are social animals. We have always gathered together, whether it was around the fire in the cave, the agora, or the mega-mall. As more and more technology has been introduced into our business and private lives, there has been an unconscious push-back to hold onto our instinctual socializing. At the same time, we are constantly experiencing the encroachment of the apparent-but-not-really isolation of technology in the form of people sitting or standing in circles texting or Tweeting, sometimes to each other, sometimes to others about who else is nearby texting and Tweeting.

And, I'm guilty of doing the same.

Since I believe multi-tasking is a myth, I'm still trying to figure out where this is all leading? Any thoughts?

________________________________________________________

Private Label Interactive and Private Label Mail are getting a new name and a new Website in the next few weeks to Venntive llc (http://www.venntive.com). The new name and new message are meant to communicate what our solution and our company actually does. It's where a company will find all the tools in one solution and all the services in one place it needs to streamline operations, align marketing and sales, delivering greater efficiencies, savings and a greater ROI at affordable prices.

It really is what you've been looking for ~ one solution that really streamlines and automates the customer life-cycle and lets you focus on what your business really does!

I'd love to have a conversation with you to figure out if what we have is what you need.

"Good food does not offset total crap service." - San Francisco Bay Area - Chowhound

2008-12-02T21:29:00.000-08:00

"Good food does not offset total crap service." - San Francisco Bay Area - Chowhound

So Maybe Spam Is Not Inevitable

2008-11-15T13:01:00.000-08:00

This news is so huge I had to pass it along as soon as it came to my attention. Lunch over IP: So maybe spam is not inevitable introduces the story about how Brian Krebs, a journalist/blogger for the Washington Post exposed a San Jose, CA company, McColo, as responsible for up to 75% of all spam...worldwide.

The implications are huge. As pointed out, this goes toward legitimizing email marketing and making communicating via email once again truly useful, and could very well point the way to winning the game of "find the spammer."

It may also mean that I will no longer be interrupted and asked if I'm a spammer when I respond to the question, "And, what do you do?" I'm constantly reminded that even though most in the tech industry view providing the Web-based technology to send massive quantities of email and manage all the resulting data as mundane, there are many, many people who are still pretty clueless as to how it is they receive all those HTML emails from Target and Macy's in their inboxed, that "spam" is not a word to describe an email they weren't in the mood to receive today, that if email went away tomorrow we'd feel a real sense of loss.

Anyway, click through, read the short article, and then, click through again to read the full (only slightly longer) report at Good Morning Silicon Valley.

A Study in Be Careful What Your Lawyer Demands

2008-10-29T12:37:00.000-07:00

How Not to Use a Lawyer - A Personal Case Study (Plus: Protocol Marketing correction) - The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss is actually several great case studies in one that I had to share it with you!

Keeping this short since Tim Ferriss covers all the salient points about what is so wrong with this interaction. There are so many customer experience lessons embedded in this. Just for the record, I have some real issues with the third comment from the lawyer. But, I *LOVE* the final photo! Better than a PostIt on someone's back!

The Importance of Decency

2008-10-23T15:39:00.000-07:00

Seth Godin pointed me to this clip via his afternoon blog post. Tom Peters speaks about the importance of decency, something we can all too easily forget, ignore, or abandon in business and especially, in trying times.

Decency is a quality that should be a part of every aspect of our lives. So, it is definitely a component of good customer experience and service.

It's all too easy to let an edge creep into your voice on a phone call or write an email in such a way that the tone can be misread and before you know it, a client feels a level of disrespect and/or lack of regard for his business when s/he becomes a "squeaky wheel."

This reminder came at the perfect time (thank you, Universe!) as I work to find a solution for a particularly challenging client. I keep reminding myself that ultimately it will be valuable knowledge I can share with other clients in the future while, it is hoped, gain the undying devotion of the client!

But, decency, as Tom Peters notes, goes far beyond the customer experience to every facet of your business and your life. If, at the end of the day, I can look in a mirror and honestly say I have conducted myself with decency throughout, it's a great day.

25 Excuses You Can Have During the Recession | chrisbrogan.com

2008-10-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

Jim Kukral's blog this morning pointed me back to a Chris Brogan blog post I'd saved for reading later...uh, since I'm so busy making excuses, actually using some of these - 25 Excuses You Can Have During the Recession | chrisbrogan.com

With the stock market up 700 points with 20 minutes left before close, I think we're all feeling a little more giddy than we were when it closed on Friday. So, it should be slightly easier to avoid making excuses.

The consensus on Friday was that the market was falling due to people's fears and nothing based in fact. Basically, the world is going to hell in a hand basket and I might as well save as much as I can before I lose it all.

Excuses!

Excuses don't just hold you back during a recession. Excuses are the line of least resistance. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, but then again, nothing lost, right? Wrong! As Jim Kukral reminded us, Wayne Gretsky said, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

So, stop making excuses! That goes for me, too!

More soon!

So, What Does Your Company Do?

2008-09-02T10:57:00.000-07:00

The Tuesday after Labor Day is kind of like January 2nd for me. It's the official start of the Fall Season, whatever that may mean for you. After years of living in New York, it means new art gallery and museum shows, the season of "serious" films, new restaurant openings. It's also the day when my school year would start which instilled a strong sensory memory that kicks in every year and makes me want to buy new notebooks, pens, pencils, and crayons.

So, I always welcome it as if it were a new year, but with the quickened energy that is part of the brisk autumn weather, regardless of temps in the 90's.

All this is a preamble to a renewed commitment to write on a more regular basis and publish here. Most days, there's so many ideas for posts flitting through my head, after reading another blog, an article, whatever and like many others, I'm sure, make a mental note that I'll write about that 'later' only to not make that happen. No more!

__________________________________________
So, I saw a Twitter post this morning -

"New rule w/ vendors. If you can't tell me in one page (exec. summary), you can't do biz w/ me. I am happy to delve in further if I have Qs."

A few minutes later, I got a new email in my inbox in response to a Website inquiry I'd made last week asking for more information to understand exactly what the company had to offer.

"Our mission is to create a competitive advantage for small and medium-sized retailers like you by providing them with everything they need for achieving retail business success.

To help us better address your specific need and goals, please provide the following information:
Revenue band: Under $1M, $1 to $2M, $2 to $5M, Over $5M
Once we have this information, the appropriate consultant will contact you to setup a convenient time and date to dicuss your needs."

I understand the need to qualify a prospect. But, I'm not even a prospect at this point in time. The mission statement says the obvious, but says nothing. I'm not a retailer per se. I'm investigating different tools for my clients.

I still don't know exactly what they do. And, it's already gotten to be too much

I recently changed my elevator pitch. Now, when people ask me what we do, my response is, "We help our clients send massive quantities of email responsibly and successfully and then, make sense of all the resulting data."

Pretty simple and straightforward. Most people now ask me for advice, for more information specific to their own needs (pain points) relative to their marketing goals, a more complete explanation of all the services we can offer.

Nice, huh?

What would you like to know about us?

Karl Lagerfeld Doesn’t Like Smelly Journalists -- The Cut: New York Magazine's Fashion Blog

2008-08-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

It's official! I really like Karl Lagerfeld! Despite what most of us might consider a rather exotic public persona, Lagerfeld is refreshingly down-to-earth. Check out #6 in this excerpt from a long interview coming in the Times, Karl Lagerfeld Doesn’t Like Smelly Journalists -- The Cut: New York Magazine's Fashion Blog.

If only we all took ourselves so "un-seriously" as the accomplished Mr. Lagerfeld. Great attitudes about business. life, customer experience.

Ratings by Outbrain

2008-08-24T16:44:00.000-07:00

The JetBlue Customer Experience, Sliding

2008-07-31T13:42:00.000-07:00

How many times have you been trapped at an airport and feeling that those desk agents' purpose in life is to prevent you from getting home in time for a (insert major family event here)?

In Mark Hurst's latest Good Experience, he recounts his recent customer experience in The JetBlue Customer Experience, Sliding.

A big lesson I come away with is that it is absolutely essential to the future of a company to always tell the truth. Everyone who knows me will tell you that there is nothing I dislike more than a LIAR! (This is where I'd love to include a live link to my ex's blog!) With the big push for transparency at every level coupled with the instantaneous connectedness of customers and potential customers, honesty is a 'no brainer.' That and making good for any inconvenience they may have experienced goes a long way. People will understand if you're upfront and honest and, if the situation calls for it, offer a simply, genuine "I'm sorry". They will forgive. They will continue as your customers. And, they will refer people to you!

For those of you not acquainted with Mark Hurst, he's the guy who conceived and produces the annual GEL Conference, a kind of New York counterpart to the TED Conference. His company, Creative Good been engaged for years in working with client companies to develop and execute customer experience strategy.

Walk the Talk Mid-Week Motivator

2008-07-30T14:51:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I really appreciate daily reminders/motivations/affirmations/whatever, especially since the buck stops at my desk. Consequently, I've subscribed to a few regular M-F newsletters to help get me going in the mornings. Certainly, they don't all hit it every day, but they do jump start that internal cheerleader who reminds me of what's important.

So, this morning when I opened the WalktheTalk.com newsletter, I read this list.

OUR CHARACTER IS SHOWN BY…

The jokes we CHOOSE to share…and not to share.
The derogatory terms we CHOOSE to use…and refuse to use.
The promises we CHOOSE to break…and the ones we keep.
The rumors we CHOOSE to spread…and those we ignore.
The resources we CHOOSE to waste…and those we use wisely.
The lies we CHOOSE to tell…and not to tell.
The responsibilities we CHOOSE to accept…and those we shirk.
The courtesies we CHOOSE to extend…and fail to extend.
The efforts we CHOOSE to put forth…and not put forth.
The quality we CHOOSE to provide…and the corners we cut.
The information we CHOOSE to share…and that which we hoard.
The listening we CHOOSE to do and not do.
The respect we CHOOSE to give…and fail to give.
The helpful hands we CHOOSE to extend…and those we keep in our pockets.

As I read each one, I thought about how it applied to me personally, then how it fits into my professional life, as a company owner, a service provider, and an evangelist of the customer experience.

I don't think the "rules" for great customer service can be expressed any more eloquently than in those used above that define character.

Be Like Matt

2008-06-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

I want to be like Matt dancing with new friends all over the world after dancing solo in so many places. So many of us go through life dancing solo. Not only is this a great example of grass-roots international relations, it's a perfect example of how I, at least, want to interact with my clients, customers, co-workers, and everyone else in my life. "What a wonderful world," heh? What a great approach to customer relationship management!

If you want to learn more about Matt and how he came to dance all over the world, you can find his story at WhereTheHellIsMatt.com.

Enjoy!

It's A Bike Day

2008-06-18T11:49:00.000-07:00

Well, not really. It's a run day in my training schedule, but thought I'd lighten up a little with some bike-related news and fun.

Many of us have been eagerly awaiting the new Campagnolo Super Record grupo featuring 11, yes, 11 speeds. The "official" release is June 18th, but Roues Artisanales has pics and info here.

If you are easily offended, then skip this video of naked cyclists in Boulder, CO. As they say, "Less gas, more ass."

In this video, the B:C:Clettesperform to SexyBack because as they say, "I wear a helmet so you can drive like an idiot...."

I love the medical study that was publishes this week that found that up to five cups of coffee daily will protect women from heart disease! Of course, the caffeine is another thing. Take this quick test to see just how caffeinated you really are! Drop me an email with your score.

Of course, we all know that a little coffee is a cyclist's best friend. Not only does it give you boost before your ride, but also facilitates recovery afterwards. Yes, that is the finding of another medical study.

Man! I am loving the doctors and scientists this week!

Always love cyclists.

Quote for June 17, 2008

2008-06-17T10:37:00.000-07:00

"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it." -- George Bernard Shaw

When I read this earlier today, I was reminded of the last job I had before starting Private Label.

I was fired.

It was the summer of 2000. Companies were imploding right and left. The DotCom where I was Managing Editor was running out of money and the CEO was scrambling for more angel or VC money. The problem was that he did not have a clear vision of what the business was, so he rewrote the business plan after every meeting. It was as if he were jumping from one piece of flotsam to the next piece of jetsam after the boat had already gone down miles from shore.

When I was hired, we, or, at least, I had what I thought was a very clear picture of our mission. And, it was working as evidenced by all the emails I got every day from our faithful readers. But, no one wanted to hear that our site visitors were SAHMs home schooling their kids. They thought it was 25-34 guys.

So, I was fired for being negative, counter-productive, not a team player, and a general PITA. The company crashed and burned six weeks later, out of ideas and money.

In this challenging economic environment, it's easy to get spooked and lose the faith, lose the vision, and stray from the company's mission. Business evolves and companies need to adapt. However, if the map of a clear vision and mission has been drawn at the beginning, the route to the future is already there to follow. It takes accurate observation, a clear action plan, and strong, confident execution minus the Pollyanna-ish platitudes.

In other words, this ain't a popularity contest, except to serve the best interests of the customers!

And, they will give the company kudos when they talk about you!

Is "Lynda" There?

2008-06-16T22:26:00.000-07:00

Just to be perfectly clear, my name is Lydia. But, it seems that not only will telemarketers calling from thousands of miles away stumble over my name, but also inside sales people, the majority of whom have degrees in Business or Marketing or English, can't seem to manage my name.

Just to be perfectly clear, Lydia is a very old name. It was the country in the Middle East where King Croesus ruled and the first country to use money, rather than barter.

So, why do so many people have a problem with my name?

Don'tcha think that if someone is calling to ask for something, they'd bother to figure out how to pronounce the name of the person at the other end, uh, before they get on the phone!?

Click!

The next kind of call which is even more common is where the "professional" calling requests to speak to whomever, usually me, by name (after I've answered the phone with my name) without identifying him/herself, the company they represent, or the purpose of the call.

Excuse me! Why should I want to waste my time or anyone else's time on a total stranger? What's with the subterfuge? Am I supposed to be more disposed to give them time? these are inside sales people who are following up on my having downloaded a white paper or registered for a Webinar, a warm lead. So, why am I being treated so disrespectfully? Is this how they've been trained to initiate phone calls? Have they even been trained?

The only people I know who are reluctant to reveal who they are and the purpose of the call are bill collectors. Why do I know this? Because I was a bill collector a million years ago!

Click!

So, if you're an inside sales person, employ inside sales people, responsible for training inside sales people, operate from a position of professionalism and integrity. Be proud of what you do and the information and resources you bring to the people at the other end of those calls. Introduce yourself, your company, and the purpose of your call, then ask for the person you want to reach, then ask that person if s/he has a couple of minutes to speak.

I will respect you and what you're doing and give you the time and attention you deserve.

That doesn't mean I'll buy!

A Father's Day Meditation

2008-06-13T16:36:00.003-07:00

I miss my Dad all the time, but more so around Father's Day. We didn't speak, or rather, I didn't speak to him for nearly 15 years. My dear cousin Jane finally got through my stubbornness, reminding me yet again that he wouldn't always be with us and I reconciled with him a couple years before he went on to the next chapter.

Daddy never stopped loving me, never stopped trying to reconnect, never stopped being proud of me. We all make mistakes in our lives and fortunately, we were each able to forgive and get past them to reaffirm our love for each other as parent and child.

In the days around his funeral, I repeatedly received private eulogies to my dad from all the people he'd mentored and whose lives were changed for knowing him. What an incredible legacy to carry with me always.

So, I wanted to share a little of what I learned from my Dad. Right now this is a Quicktime moviet, but please don't let that stop you. And, when we get it converted into Flash, I'll alert the media!

Lessons My Dad Taught Me

GSD Degree

2008-06-10T18:33:00.004-07:00

"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is a nobler art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of nonessentials." -- Lin Yutang

One of my commitments is to make daily posts M-F. Another is to make them relevant! To that end, as evidenced by the title, the subject of today's post is about the GSD, the most valuable degree one can hold because it is essential to Get Stuff Done.

But, then that quote above caught my attention this morning.

I am reluctant to write more, it is complete in its advice and philosophy. Sometimes, the best course of action is to take no action and resolution follows. It requires being quiet within oneself. Not reacting to nervously fill what feels like a void.

How does one relate this to the customer experience or online marketing?

At the lowest common denominator, it could be simply delivering exactly what the customer needs and nothing more or less.

Twitter by Machiavelli

2008-05-13T19:46:00.000-07:00

Whether you're already a Twitter aficionado and know nada about Twitter, Twitter by Machiavelli will define many of the different users and help you avoid commiting Twittercide with poor Twitter-quette. Oh, yes, it's addictive!

Seriously, if you aren't savvy about Twitter, drop me an email. It's part of the marketing mix we help our clients with when building an online presence. And, check out the link in the right-hand column and click to follow me on Twitter.

Today's Quote 5/6/08

2008-05-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

Integrity is not a ninety percent thing…not a ninety-five percent thing. Either you have it, or you don’t.
~Peter Scotese~

More on this later...