Archive for September, 2010
Are You Future-Proof?
The world’s changing
… at record speed.
Snuff, heliographs, dreadnoughts, ticker tape, space hoppers …
The obsolescence list is long.
Last week I learned what happened to US Blockbuster for not switching from DVDs to movie downloads.
It can be fascinating to watch slow-motion disasters.
But what if the light in your tunnel [...]
Do I Need a Publicist?
Is it my shout, or theirs?
When I gain clients, I give a solemn promise:
If you ever ask me something outside my expertise, I’ll say so.
That time has come.
Book ‘em Danno!
Naomi Oakley (whom we met in August) has done the very ‘now’ thing of distilling her unique expertise into an ebook.
We’ve spent dozens of hours [...]
Locked-in Syndrome
Wikipedia says Locked-in Syndrome is a condition in which a patient:
Is aware and awake but cannot move or communicate due to complete paralysis of nearly all voluntary muscles in the body except for the eyes.*
This reminds me of modern utility contracts.
Today’s suppliers are frantic to lock us down, box us in and wall us off [...]
Up. Up. And Away!
Upselling is a double-edged sword.
Used well, it loosens purse strings for mutual benefit.
Done badly, it’s a cut-throat affair.
So how to handle this tricky tool?
The Ugly
Many customers do NOT want fries with ANY thing.
I used to start burger orders with: ‘I don’t want fries or a drink, please. What I would like is …’
Now I just [...]
Is Time Money?
Here’s an old chestnut I hope we can crack:
Can you charge clients for travelling time?
I’ve had bags of trouble with this issue.
My hairdresser has an elegant answer. I’d like to see if you’ve a better one.
Fly Buys
When I started freelancing, I had a weekly two-day gig at a client’s site.
I figured driving to this was [...]
Happy Ending
Winners are grinners!
[Click here for Part 1 of this gripping saga.]
On Sunday, my new-car quest finally met success.
And yielded more interesting lessons to boot (nyuk nyuk).
Here, then, is a jovial bookend to last week’s dismal missive.
Cold Call
I was pondering whether roller blading could work for me when the phone rang.
It was [...]
Auto Destruct
I tried to find a brick wall.
This was the best I could do.
Every so often, the real world slaps you so hard, you lose the breath to cry out.
Enter new car salesmen.
New for Old
The ‘new’, I learnt this week, applies only to cars – not salesmen.
In the decade since [...]
A Cut Above
It’s great to meet people who lead their field.
You spot them by their ideas.
If your business suffers customers who show up late (or not at all) you may like this story.
I never know where my next blog post will come from: smart ideas reside in the most unusual places.
So I was delighted when [...]
Show & Tell
Et voila! Avec le lapin!
Cheryl Cigan, our American friend, kindly suggested we do a show-and-tell post.
The object of this game is to use your comment to give us a snapshot of what you’re up to and where your business is at.
Plugs, links, skites, wins, pics, pitches, write ups, testimonials and shameless promos are all warmly [...]
