Psalm 40:9-10

My Father and I have been in negotiations recently. Well, I’ve been trying to negotiate, anyway. My Father just stated His point of view and is waiting for me to come around. You know the conversation?

I think it would be a good idea if you…
You’re right, Father. I should do that.
Do you need help?
No…thank you. I think I’d like to figure it out.
Okay. I’m here if you need me. I love you.
Thanks. I love you, too.

Father, do you know what would be a really great idea? There’s this thing I want to do…what do you think?
That does sound like an interesting idea. Have you done what I asked you to do yet?
You know I haven’t. I’m sorry. It just didn’t seem like the right time for that yet. I’ll do that, but the pieces are all in place to do this other thing now. What do you think?
Why are you asking me what I think when you already know the answer?
I know…I just don’t think I’m ready to do that yet. It’s not that I won’t do it. I want to because you want me to. I know it’s going to turn out great because your plans always do…I just can’t right now. It’s a lot to do.
It is a lot, but I wouldn’t have suggested you do it if I didn’t know you could. You don’t have to do it alone.
I know. As soon as I get this other thing going, I’ll get right on that. I want to be ready to do it alone. I know I don’t have to, but I don’t want to be weak.
Ok.

Father, I’m in trouble. I’ve messed up so much. Things have gone from bad to worse. I know it’s all my fault and I’m sorry. I hate to come to you for help when I’m in such bad shape — when I didn’t come before — but I don’t know what else to do. Will you help me?
Of course I’ll help. I love you. All you have to do is ask.
Thank you. I love you, too. I’m sorry, I haven’t even done what you asked me to do. I got so busy trying to do other things…
I know. I won’t say it’s okay, but I forgive you. I love you. I’ll help you anyway.
Thank you. Thank you for being here. Thank you for helping me.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Unfortunately, my conversations have been pretty boring lately. Something along the lines of “Second verse, same as the first”. It’s time to quit. It’s time to get back into the conversation in a real way, and do what I’m supposed to do — before God breaks out the cosmic baseball bat. The fact is that I’ve been avoiding my own blog for too long and am totally ignoring my feed reader.

Think. Procrastinate. Think.

It started out fun. I enjoyed writing. I had goals and deadlines…I had a plan. I had the “Verse of the Day” placed prominently on my posts, and I was happy with whatever I felt like writing. Then I started trying to get more professional. I moved from Blogspot to a self-hosted WordPress blog – with a custom theme – and I started thinking too much. “Do you really want this Bible verse on here?” my designer asked. “You don’t have control over it. What if it puts up a verse that offends people?” So, the verse appears on one page, and not on posts…and at the bottom, not near the top of the page…and I’m worrying about offending people. Is that the way it’s supposed to be?

Duck. Cover. Refrain.

It’s not my designer’s fault. He just asked a question — a question that I should have been prepared to answer, but wasn’t. Instead I started spending more and more time “in my head”, wondering what I could write about — no longer happy with my business blog. The redesign stretched into eternity and still I wasn’t active. Then I reached a point where I couldn’t just keep bookmarking posts to come back and comment on (when Commentluv would reveal a fresh post). I quit reading blogs (much).

Can’t justify reading someone else’s work when you haven’t written your own, right?

Write. Procrastinate. Delete.

I wasn’t writing because I’d lost my direction. The blog wasn’t fun any more, and I didn’t know what to do about it. Well, I did know, but I didn’t really want to go that way. Talk about taking a chance on offending people. What if people thought I was trying to use God to get business? What if people were afraid of doing business with me because I talked about God on my blog? What if I was way out in left field and had the wrong idea about this whole thing anyway?

Pray. Believe. Write.

Well, here it is. Here’s my first step toward doing what I’m supposed to be doing. I’m not talking about evangelizing because…well, I’m just not. God has done a lot for me and it’s time I start letting people know about it. It’s time to stop stumbling over the words in Psalm 40:

I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly
I do not seal my lips as you know, O Lord

Preach. Thump. Roll.

Please don’t think that I’m going to start preaching at you. That’s not my calling. I’m also not planning to make every post a devotional. This is just me, talking about life as I see it with a focus on business…and God is part of that. He may be mentioned from time to time, more than once… I’m just letting you know what to expect. I’m unsealing my lips, or at least my fingertips.

God is good! Got a problem with that?

The “cosmic baseball bat” is referred to in a novel by Andrew Greeley, Patience of a Saint. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been “whacked”, but I’d rather get in line before drastic measures are required.

I attended a webinar yesterday that goes along with my second sign. The topic was, “The Art and Science of the Elevator Pitch”, and the speaker, Donato Diorio suggested that one of the best ways to find out what people are being told about your company is to put yourself and your employees on the spot and record what you say about your business. I’m talking about more than just the elevator pitch here, but the same principle applies.

Sign #2 Reads: I Know What My Business Is…

If you are a solopreneur (I still haven’t decided whether I like that word.), recording yourself will definitely come in handy. It’s kind of hard to be your own mystery shopper, but the idea is to be your best self every time, so just record and practice…and practice and record. Once you’re happy with the recording, try your spiel on a couple of real people and see what they think.

For everybody else: Shop your own business.

Record your employees. Find out what people see (or are told) when they contact your business. I’m not suggesting that you put up hidden cameras. I’m thinking more along the lines of:

1. Have a meeting, record (with their knowledge, but not with advance notice) employees describing your product or service as they would to potential clients.
2. Make sure everybody is on the same page. They don’t have to use the same “script” (unless that’s your business model), but they all need to be giving the same information.
3. Make sure everybody knows, or knows where to find, the information about your company that clients or potential customers might ask.
4. Send in a mystery shopper. Once you’ve given your people sufficient training, send in a friend, colleague, or professional mystery shopper to find out if they’re practicing what you preached. (Check yourself, too; you’re not immune to flubbing your lines.)

Check yourself before you…

When you’re meeting a potential client for the first time (and everyone you meet is a potential client), the only thing they know about your business is what you tell them. If you don’t sound like you know what your business is, they probably won’t either. Actually, it’s probably worse when someone you meet is able to do a better job of explaining your business than you have. So what you’re saying is that you…

Don’t just record the people…

If you have an office or a storefront that clients visit, walk in and look around like you’ve never seen the place before. Walk around with a video camera so that you record what is, and not what you see. Do your floorplan, furnishings, and decor create the atmosphere you’re trying to convey? Do your shelves look well-stocked…or over-cluttered? Would the client or customer you’re most interested in pleasing be comfortable in your establishment? Are you? Don’t forget, this is a place where you need to be at your best. If you’re not comfortable in your surroundings, well, that’s hard to fake.

Pay attention to the signs…

I don’t really think I need to explain why it’s important that you become expert at explaining your business. I don’t even think I need to tell you why you should make sure that everyone affiliated with your business needs to be explaining your business the same way. That’s just logic. You should record yourself and do a mystery shopping routine on your business to get a better idea of what your client/customer sees in you in terms of product, service, and expertise.

It's All About the Hero

I was re-reading one of my favorite romance novels recently — for research purposes. I’ve got this whole idea about analyzing how this character…I’ll tell you later. You might think that I was just looking for an excuse to read romance novels but that couldn’t be further from the truth might include a little bit of excuse factor, but it was mostly a business read — although I did enjoy it more than most business books I read.

At any rate, I’ve got this idea on the back burner right now while I figure out how to go through with my plan without spoiling the read for anyone who doesn’t already know the story. It occurs to me that there’s a more general concept to be examined in romance — the woo factor.

In a good romance novel, the hero always woos and wins his heroine. No matter how handsome, well-built, good-hearted, rich, or rakish the hero might be, readers would be highly disappointed if he got the win without the woo.

Picture this story:

Chapter 1 — Look at the hero. See the angle of his jaw and his well-toned muscles. See his fine home, his wealth, and evidence of his largesse.

Chapter 2 — The heroine meets the hero. He says, “Marry me,” and she falls into a swoon — nearly hitting the floor at his feet before he gracefully catches her. The hero holds her close to his chest, fanning her with his white, silk handkerchief and asks in a fervent whisper, “Marry me?”

The heroine’s eyelids flutter gently and then open. He looks deep into her eyes and asks again, “Marry me?”

The heroine stares into his passion-filled orbs and fights the urge to swoon again. “Oh, yes!“, she murmurs breathily.

The rest of the book might be about the actual wedding, their life together, their children, or who knows what. I know that I wouldn’t be one of the ones who knows. If a few more pages turned didn’t yield up the real hero, the real heroine, some fateful accident or illness that deprived the heroine of her memory, or some other plot device that would cause the hero to fight for the heroine’s love, I wouldn’t finish the book.

If she’s that easy, or life in general just comes that easily to him — well, more power to them both. I don’t care. I want to read about the hero’s valiant efforts to win his lady’s heart. I want to know all of the roadblocks — real and imagined — that keep the lovers apart, and how the pair fight to overcome them.

Don’t get me wrong. I want the heroine to be smart, brave, able to fight and all that, but I’m in it for the hero. I’m in it for the woo. I want to know what he’ll do and how much he’ll endure to win our hearts. I want to be won over, little by little. I want to be swept off my feet, literally and figuratively. I want to be loved. I want to be cherished. I want to be wooed.

It doesn’t matter that I’m not the actual beneficiary of all the hero’s charm. Vicarious woo is still woo. Besides, if I’m not half in love with the hero, wishing I knew a man like the hero, or wondering where I might find a hero of my own by the time he’s halfway through his quest, he’s not worthy of the title hero.

I’ve already established that I want to be wooed. I also want to be informative. Here’s what all this talk of woo has to do with improving your business: clients need to be wooed, too.

Too many of us try to run our businesses like the lame book I described earlier:

Chapter 1 — We open our doors and show potential customers how wonderful we are.

Chapter 2 — The consumer comes in and sees all our glory. We say, “Be my client,” and the consumer falls all over himself trying to get a signature on the contract (or haul stuff to the cash register).

We forget about the woo and go straight for the win…and wonder why we don’t get the “happily ever after” ending we were counting on.

Just like the hero in a romance novel (or in real life for that matter), we will probably have to put in some time and effort (woo) to close a deal with a client (win). I’m not saying that there aren’t a lucky few heroes who don’t have to woo (using the term hero loosely here — picture the Fonz snapping his fingers and the girls coming at a run). Some people just seem to be lucky, or blessed, or in the right place at the right time, or in league with the devil.

If you fall into one of those categories, you don’t have to worry about woo. Unless the category is blessed — God expects those He blesses to share the wealth — which falls under woo in my book. Otherwise, evaluate your woo factor and then crank it up. Do something nice for your clients or potential clients. Do something for them with the hope that they will start to fall in love with you, but with no strings and no expectations attached. Think, “I gave you that huge, honkin’ emerald because it matches your eyes,” not “I spent a pretty penny on that rock; you’d better make me glad I did”.

Woo doesn’t have to be expensive: helpful information, birthday greetings, freebies, lunches and coffee are all good. You need to choose a method of woo that works well for your business and for you personally. Woo doesn’t really work well if the hero is uncomfortable wooing.

So, what’s your woo factor? On a scale of 0 to 5, with 0 being “I don’t woo my clients” and 5, “They’re swooning”. Where do you fall in?

I’m trying to make a point of listening to my own advice more often these days. I recently re-read a proposal I wrote for a client some months ago. She was starting a new business and needed a marketing strategy. It had to be cheap because she was bootstrapping. It had to be easily implemented because she was going to do it herself. It had to be effective because for both of those reasons she’d given herself a deadline for success (after which she’d cut back her business efforts and return to her day job).

Sign #1 Reads: Other People Should Be Doing…

I wrote up a strategy that met all of those requirements and gave her a little extra in case her comfort level increased before her budget did. As I was researching and writing I remember thinking several times, “Ooh, that would work for me, too. Why aren’t I doing that?” I didn’t have a good answer, so I told myself that I would definitely incorporate those ideas into my own strategy as soon as I completed hers.

I’ll get right on that…

Months have passed since then (I’m ashamed to admit how many.), and most of those good ideas are still sitting in a file in my computer whittling ducks and waiting. Now that I think about it, those aren’t the only good ideas I’ve filed in my computer and failed to follow up on. Could the problems I’ve been having with my computer be caused by circuits clogged with wooden ducks? I’ll have to check into that.

If you’re asking, “Why ducks?”, well…that’s another story. For now let’s just leave it at, I like ducks.

Getting back to the point, I’m sure I’m sure I’m not the only one with files full of ducks. It’s easy to see what other people are doing wrong or failing to do. It’s the whole log and speck scenario played out in our own lives (or in our own businesses).

Enough with the ducks, already…

To get a clearer picture I need to get out. I need to stop seeing my business from my perspective — with my head down plugging away at all I need to do — and see things as someone else would view them.

I’m using the first person here because I know for a fact that I’m talking about me. I think I’m talking about some of you, too. If you see yourself, own the I.

Time for a little evaluation…

Instead of just doing things the way I’ve always done them because I always have, I need to be the buttinsky (or the child, if you prefer) who continually asks, “Why?” until I come up with a logical, rational response that makes sense to someone who isn’t me — or I realize that what I’m doing really doesn’t make sense.

If you’re in position to do so — meaning you have thick enough skin and are strong enough to stand your ground when the situation warrants — you might want to have a real person help you with your evaluation. I’ve got a 13 year old who’s more than willing to question every decision I make. I don’t know yet if I’ll invite him to examine my business practices (or just pretend that I did), but when you get too trapped in your own thinking, an outside opinion might help.

Friends and family will probably give you a free consult. If you’re looking for a more professional (and more detached) evaluation, SCORE counselors may also provide the advice you need (for free). If you’ve got the money to spare, there’s no shortage of life coaches, business coaches, organizers, efficiency experts, and so on, who would be happy to help you regroup. I also know where you can get the opinions of a 13-year-old pretty cheap.

Pay attention to the signs…

Why does it matter that you are great at offering advice you’re not following? Why should you care what other people think about the way you do business? You should check the signs and evaluate your business from the outside to get a clearer perspective of your processes and strategy.

This post started out as “5 Signs That You Need to Step Out and Regroup”. Once I realized how long “Sign 1″ was getting, I figured I’d best make it a series. Tune in next time for The Second Sign.

In the middle of all the Obama hoopla, I’m quietly interjecting my own news…
I’m preparing for my own inauguration! Well, I’m hyped about the inaugural posts of my new blog theme and my new web site. I’m not sure when they’re going to be ready for the public but I’ve seen them and I’m excited!

Well…that’s all I had to say. I just really had to let you know that I am just days (I can’t contemplate weeks) away from doing my “New Look” Happy Dance. Believe it or not, though, there are a some ideas in this brief post that may have relevance to your business.

1. Don’t let your blog or any marketing lapse while you’re waiting for the next part to be ready. No matter what you’re going to do “when…”, don’t put your life, your business, your marketing, or your whatever on hold until the when becomes now. You may infer from the time since my last post that I am speaking from experience on this one. Note the good example, though — my new blog theme will have current blog posts because I started now.

2. Don’t do it if you’re not passionate about it. If you’re not excited about what you’re doing, if might be time to think about doing something else. My new web site design tickles me pink…and green…and purple…. You get the idea. I’m a writer, not a designer so I’m learning a lot about the little things that make a difference. Column width and theme-stuff doesn’t really do anything for me (my designer basically starts each meeting with a refresher on what I need to know to make decisions — I just don’t retain that stuff), but the overall look of the project thrills me. If your web site, blog, product, or service doesn’t excite you, how will you get someone else excited or even interested?

3. Don’t worry about sharing your mistakes (within reason). Even experts make mistakes. If your missteps can save someone else the trip, share what you did (and what you should have done). I’m not saying that you should stand before the world and tell them you’re totally clueless. I am saying that people generally relate to people who admit mistakes and learn from them (and that’s not just wishful thinking). If even the productivity guy (Dave Navarro) can admit to being less than productive, I can expose a few things I haven’t done to perfection. That goes for you, too.

4. Don’t think your ideas are the only ones that matter. Somebody, somewhere is discussing, selling, or giving away something that may be relevant to your customers (or your readers). If you’ve got that information, share it. You may not be thanked (or remembered) for it, but you’ll know you did it.

These tips fall on the negative side instead of focusing on the positive side as suggested by Chris Brogan in his post on 12 Things to Stop Doing in 2009. I just went back to re-read that post to find out if he’d used a specific term for “the positive side” (I read this post in December, details escape me). What I found is that either we think alike; I subconsciously co-opted some of his ideas; or he reads my mind. I’m not sure which of those realities should frighten me more.

So, do you see the relevance? Have anything to add? Think I’m out in left field? Let me know (please).

So I’m here to share five ways to quit planning and start doing. In other words…

1. Tell someone you’re going to do something.

This isn’t the point where you give trade secrets to random people or talk to your family and friends about your plan. This is where you find an acquaintance, preferably a relatively outspoken acquaintance, that you see on a fairly regular basis that you can share your general plan with. Think person you chat with at church, fellow PTA member, the cashier you usually go to at the grocery store, or some other friendly stranger. The next time your person asks, “How are things?”, tell them your plan. Don’t just say the usual, “Can’t complain”, or whatever, say, “I’m planning to climb Mt. Everest.” Of course, you should tell them your plan, not the Everest line — unless you’re actually planning to climb Mt. Everest.

You need someone that you see regularly who will ask you questions the next time they see you. “Oh, you’re still here. I thought you might be at a mountain base camp somewhere….” The idea is that you’ll then have to explain why you’re not following your Sherpa yet and what steps you’re taking to get underway. Generally speaking, this is not the job for friends or family (see number 2 for my take on this one). Look for someone who will get in your face in a non-threatening way and make you own your plans. If you’re keeping your plans to yourself it’s too easy to let deadlines slip. If you know that in three days Myrtle, the church lady, is going to ask you what you’ve been doing, you’re more likely to do something so that you’ll have something to report.

2. Don’t tell your friends and family until you know what you want (for sure).

This one depends on you and on your friends and family. Procrastination often has a basis in fear. If you have the type of friends or family who will support your plans and help you to push past your fear, by all means, tell them what you want to do. Supportive friends and family have more of a vested interest in your well-being than Myrtle. They’ll push harder, ask more, and offer more.

If, on the other hand, you know (or believe) your friends and family will remind you of all the things that can go wrong, or all the reasons why you should not attempt your goal — don’t tell them. Keep your plans to yourself at least until you’ve overcome your own objections. It’s hard enough battling your own fears without having other people send fears your way. Myrtle’s a much safer bet in this situation. Her initial reaction is more likely to be, “Mt. Everest! My goodness, that’s quite a goal. Why did you decide on Everest?” That’s the kind of questioning that helps you solidify your plans. “Climb Mt. Everest? You’ve been afraid of heights since you fell off the monkey bars when we were 10!”That’s the kind of response you need to avoid — at least until you’re sure that you’ve overcome the monkey bar incident.

3. Make a bet.

Once you’ve let the people close to you in on your plans, a bet (or dare if you’d rather) can help you to stay motivated. Almost everyone has some kind of dream or project that’s been in the idea or planning stages for a while. Your younger brother might not want to climb Mt. Everest with you, but maybe he’s always wanted to write a novel. There’s no need for a lot of explanation here. Friendly competition can help you beat procrastination. Race each other to the finish.

4. Post a calendar.

Make up a list of activities you need to achieve your goal and set reasonable dates for completion. Reasonable is a key word here. Don’t give yourself too much time, but don’t decide everything has to be done by the end of next week either (unless everything has to be done by the end of next week, in which case you should stop reading now and get to work). Mark those dates on a calendar and set reminders for yourself. Use whatever type of calendar works for you, just make sure that you can see it on a daily basis. If you use a web-based calendar, you can send yourself email. The method doesn’t matter — sticky notes, task lists, email, or whatever works for you — the important thing is to remind yourself regularly of what needs to be done. Modify your deadlines if you need to, but don’t just let them slide. Make sure to hold yourself accountable.

5. Just do it.

Don’t let the plan turn into the project. Don’t wait for all the I’s to be dotted just so, the cross-bars on the T’s to be at the same height and width, the web site to be completed, and the stars to be perfectly aligned. If you find yourself spending a lot of time in the planning stage, just jump into the project. Of course, if your project or business is selling web sites, you may not want to put up a bad or half finished site just to get started…and if you’re working on something that could prove harmful or fatal to yourself or others, by all means take your time.

All of these suggestions need to be taken and used or rejected on a case by case basis. What works for some may not work for others. Ideas that motivate you on some occasions may paralyze you at other times…and people can always surprise you. Myrtle might say, “Well, that sounds like a hare-brained scheme to me,” and the brother you thought would take the wind out of your sails might jump in and become your partner. The bottom line is that in order to reach your goals you have to actually take steps to reach them, not just plan to.

Have you tried any of these ideas? Do you think they’re worthwhile? What keeps you on track from planning to doing?

Hello Friends,

It’s Self-promotion Month! I didn’t make that up, but I wish I had. I’m trying to control my urge to self-promote because I missed “Shameless” Promotion Month. There’s a fine line between self-promotion and shameless self-promotion; you’ll have to let me know how I do.

My external editors are unavailable right now, so I’m relying on my internal editor and going with my first draft. The lower case “I’s” are intentional, if you find glaring errors in grammar, content, or spelling, though, please let me know.

Posting without editing is not my usual process, but I’m considering the “i’s” dotted well enough. If you’d like to know what that means, check out the “i specialist” blog next week. This week’s blog posts on all my blogs will provide useful information on incorporating Self-promotion Month into your marketing plan. You’ll find the URLs in the sidebar. Be sure to check in.

Well, enough explanation…let’s get to it!

ideas

If you need an idea, I’ll come up with one. If you have an inkling, I’ll help you flesh out the details. If you have an idea, I’ll help you with whatever steps are necessary to bring it into being.

illustration

I’m an idea person. Even better than that, I’m a creator. I can come up with an idea and make it a reality. I’m a whiz with a pen, a paintbrush, a sewing machine, a stapler, and a glue gun.

I’m a master of illusion. I can create something from nothing. I can turn something into something else. Blank paper becomes blog post, marketing copy, or some other illustration at my command. If you need a more physical illustration, I can do that, too, with construction paper, cardboard, and string if necessary. I can achieve the desired effect on a shoestring – and have a great time in the process.

implementation

I get the job done. I do work that I love and I’m willing to put in the time and effort to make each project a masterpiece. My ego doesn’t prevent me from wearing whatever hat or hats need to be worn to complete a project I’m committed to whether that means creating, planning, supervising, doing what needs to be done, or cleaning up afterward.

investment

My brother tells me that I shouldn’t use the word “investment” because people will think I’m giving stock advice. My money says you’re smart enough to know that I mean commitment, time, and caring.

I take a personal interest in every person and project I commit to. I really care – and not just about how much helping someone can help me, or how
I might benefit in the future. I invest in my work.

integrity

I don’t know how much description I need here. I practice personal and professional integrity. I won’t lie to, for, or about people or projects I’m involved with. I don’t steal – money, clients, ideas…or anything else.

I’m a firm believer in discretion. I guard all personal and business information as though it were my own. I don’t share information about a person, project, or product unless the job calls for it.

information

I collect information. If you need information about a business idea, career choice, or almost anything else (sports and politics…not so much), I’ve got you covered. If I don’t have what you need, I know where to find it. Beyond that, I know how to process what I find and give it to you in a form that you can use.

instruction

Do-it-yourselfers are welcome! If your spirit (or your budget) leads you to do things instead of having things done, I’m happy to work with you. You don’t need to wade through a lot of information and try to figure things out alone. Step by step, from idea-storm through implementation, I can provide as much or as little help as you need.

implication

This is an overview of my business and of my character. I have a couple of reasons for letting you know all about me: self-promotion and promotion.

Self-promotion

If you’re trying to build or market an owner-run small business, I would like for you to contact me.

If you’re trying to market yourself into a new job, or your company into a new employee, I’d like for you to contact me.

If you know anyone who needs marketing help, I’d like for you to contact me.

If you were ever in a job situation that didn’t fit and you’d like to share your story, I’d like for you to contact me.

If you’re tall, male, and single…just checking to see if you’re still with me (that’s a different web site).

Request for Help (Promotion)

The second reason I’m glad you stuck around this long is that I need your help. I’m not asking you to lie or to wax poetic, but if you have seen evidence of any of the work or character traits I’ve described or any I’ve forgotten, please take a moment and write a recommendation for me. You’ll find my LinkedIn profile here. If you’d prefer to recommend me in another manner, please leave a comment or contact me.

Self-promotion can only take me so far. Care to help me take the next step?

Customer service counts…and so does its child, the freebie.

My housemate and I ::gasp:: ran out of coffee. We had a lot to do yesterday, and thought we’d save a trip to the local (10 minute drive away) coffee dealer by just walking over to the neighborhood “mart” – which is actually a liquor store, but that’s another post. We took a casual stroll to the mart, eagerly anticipating caffeine, only to find that the machine was out of order.

Bummed, but not deterred, we decided to check out the nearby restaurants to see if we might find coffee. Picture the small “strip mall” next to the mart with revolving restaurants on either end. To clarify, the restaurants don’t actually revolve; each space has been home to several different restaurants during my tenure (but that, also, is another post). At any rate, we were standing outside one (the other was definitely closed), checking the hours and watching the wait staff arrive for work.

Needless to say, the staff was just arriving; they weren’t open yet. The manager noticed us lurking outside the door and came out to talk to us. After we explained that we lived in the neighborhood and were looking for a caffeine fix we were told that they weren’t open, but we could definitely have coffee to go. In fact, he’d just made a fresh pot. The server who prepared the coffee for us was really nice; in fact, the whole crew came across as a friendly bunch. They don’t normally do coffee to go, so they (apologetically) only had paper kid-drink cups. They told us that next time we could bring our own mugs for a better experience. We were offered milk and sugar and wonderful hospitality – and then we were charged almost six dollars and sent on our merry way.

$6 doesn’t buy as much as $0.

You don’t have to be a coffee dealer (oh, yeah, it’s a drug for sure) to know that 16 ounces of coffee does not cost $6, not even if you throw in the cost of the paper cups. We looked around the restaurant while we were waiting; we got our coffee; and we left. Next time, we’ll jump in the car and go get some. Even including the cost of gas, the coffee dealer would give us more – for less – and we don’t owe the restaurant anything.

What free buys for your business.

A few years ago when I found myself in a similarly coffee-less situation, I tried the restaurant at the other end of the mall (that has since undergone a revolution). They weren’t open yet either, but they were getting set up and could definitely do coffee. Did I want regular, espresso, or a cappuccino? I had a cappuccino, in a real cup, while sitting at one of the tables and was told to come any time. Another time, my son and I were walking by on our way home from the beach and the owner recognized me and waved us in for a cappuccino (for me, and a soda for my son). They had been sitting out on their patio having lunch, and invited us to join them. Total cost for two cappuccinos, two plates of pasta, and a soda — $0.

What $0 buys that $6 can’t.

I liked those friendly people. I thought it was really nice that they’d treated us like neighbors. I was not a customer; I was a neighbor; and I was obligated to be a good neighbor. I took my son again, for food that I paid for. I told my housemates about how great the place was – how nice the people were, and they went. I took my family for dinner. We all told other people about the place and took them to eat there. I don’t know about you, but I tend to be a little more willing to spend money to help people that I know, and people that I owe.

All told, we spent a lot more on them than they spent on me. That place got a lot out of their little bit of customer service. The new place, well, they got $6.

There are two morals here:

• Always keep in mind your actual costs and what you can comfortably give away to add value to your business.

• Develop relationships with customers and clients. If you treat them like friends and neighbors, they’ll be more likely to support you as friends and neighbors would.

Have you had similar experiences (either as the business or the consumer)? Please share.

On a side note, I came across another post, on Big Bright Bulb, along the same lines after I had saved mine. I guess great minds think alike — and my thoughts aren’t way off base. Also check out this one from IttyBiz on deciding what you can (and shouldn’t) give away.

Taking breaks won’t cost any valuable time if you just make a habit of paying attention to the world around you during your off hours (Thinking isn’t really work, is it?). When you assume the couch potato position, for example, really tune in. Pick a channel that airs programs aimed at your target market and check out the shows. Take a look at the commercials – local and national – and analyze what you see. If a commercial impresses you, figure out why and what you can use from that to build your own publicity. If you’re running TV commercials, watch them objectively during the shows. Do they fit with the other ads running during the same time frame? Are they running during the best time to reach your target market?

This quick tip was sponsored by two local commercials I’ve been seeing recently. The products are similar, but the ads…. Let’s just say that one looks good and gets the product line across, and the other one makes me crazy.

So, you, the small business owner, can :: shameless plug alert :: call me and set up a plan for receiving regular information briefs :: end of plug ::, or you can wade through the ocean of information that’s ready and waiting to suck you in (rip current, anyone?). The i specialist blog is designed to offer a third option. Check in to find links to business and information resources, summaries of news you can use, and interviews with small business owners in the San Diego area about what has and hasn’t worked for them. Information tailored to help you define and reach your local target market – that’s what the i specialist is all about.

Let me know if you’d like to share your story.