Hungering for attention is common to business's large and small. You want to be noticed, even applauded for your latest acquisition, hire, merger, community outreach, fund raiser, etc. etc. etc.
Much easier said than done! Haven't you wondered how those local TV stations pick out the stories that they do cover? Why can't your company ever get media coverage for anything other than a fire in the lobby? Even when it comes to your own unique trade publications, the media has to buy your story or it won't generate any attention. Is there some magic set of buzzwords that the media will respond to?
The trick is simple, but oddly missed by nearly all would-be press release writers. In journalism school we called it W.I.F.M. which is the acronym for "what's in it for me?" The "me" in question is the viewer, the reader, the listener. In other words, why should the audience or the media care about your news?
In today's simultaneously overweight-but-weight-obsessed society let's use a more relevant acronym for successful press release writing, and that is F.A.T.: Focused, Attention-grabbing & Timely. With a little forethought, creativity and basic writing skill you too can make your news announcement F.A.T. and grab a little bit of that media attention.
Focused - your press release should be tightly focused on ONE thing. Do not cram several pieces or tidbits of info into the press release no matter how interesting you personally may find those things. Ask yourself "what is one the one thing I want to have noticed?" and then ruthlessly keep your writing and your communication about that one point. As examples:
1. Two great new hires that you've snagged from competitors? Two separate press releases with some time in between.
2. You've just landed a huge piece of business that will allow you to add staff? One press release about the new client and another about your planned expansion (or even better about your planned hiring).
3. Your last fundraiser exceeded your expectations so you've already started planning the next one? You guessed it, two separate announcements
This process of focusing will help you cull your story down into its most important and basic element. Maybe you think you have two announcements, but check with a few trusted colleagues and you may discover that only one piece of information really interests anyone but you. Focus also means serious consideration of who will be interested in this news of yours and who is really likely to cover it. Your news may be perfect for online or printed trade publications, but The Wall Street Journal isn’t really going to bite on an announcement with specific industry-only terminology. A broader but even more compelling announcement must be crafted to reach the national media and even local TV and newspapers. Focus on getting the biggest bang for your writing buck, trade publications can be the perfect and most effective vehicle in many cases, even if they are not as sexy as USA Today.
Attention Grabbing
The headline, the opening paragraph, and the leading sentence absolutely must be attention grabbing or your announcement is on the fast track to the delete button. Headlines should be short, less than two lines and very succinctly summarize the announcement. You must force yourself to tell this “story” in one sentence. As my own recent examples:
• Bubbles the Chimp will NOT inherit Jacko’s Millions
• Looking for Orlando’s Youngest TV Reporter
• Pink Slip Party Rides to the rescue of Job Seekers
You don’t have to be a journalism school grad to realize that complete sentences are not necessary in writing headlines and can very comfortably be avoided. What is necessary is an active, interesting statement. Often times the headline should be the last thing written. The press release itself, if written correctly will almost tell you what the headline might be.
This first paragraph comes directly under the headline, can be 2 – 3 sentences long and should be a strong summary of your “news”. Finally, your lead sentence really needs to read like “a lead”. This lead sentence is the first sentence in what will be the body or the “meat” of your announcement. For lead writing reference pull out a newspaper, magazine or news website and spend a few minutes reading different leads. While there is an art to writing a great lead, most people can write a perfectly competent lead with a little bit of focused brain power.
Timely
Creating a timely announcement really means positioning your news as relevant and current. This can best be done by stepping outside of your own little world and honestly asking why anyone would be interested in this piece of information. This becomes easier with practice, but as a starting point consider what is going on around you locally, regionally, nationally, and industry-wise that you can tie in to. As examples:
• Breaking ground on an addition to your warehouse? Your expansion is great news for a sagging local economy
• Starting your own new business? Becoming an Entrepreneur is the newest solution for would-be job seekers
• Landed a new account? Your employees are demonstrating outside-the-box thinking in tough economic times
• Wrapped up a successful fundraiser? The right cause still resonates even when people are cash strapped
So there you have it. Of course, there are a lot of extremely talented writers available, and the art of the successful press release comes a little more easily to them, yours truly included. But in a pinch, or even just to test your chops give this a shot. When it comes to media attention FAT is where it's at, baby!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Raising a Jock
Remember the original ‘Friday Night Lights’? High school football back in the day…those chilly fall football games when we were in high school? Popcorn, cheerleaders, the biggest guys lumbering around with shoulder pads, huge helmets, and happy-if-muddy grins. Win or lose, we’d always meet up after the game for burgers and our carefree high school life continued. Granted, high school sports in the Midwest were slightly more frostbitten than here in Florida, but still fundamentally the same.
Fast forward to 2009, high school football Florida style. Those carefree memories are a funny novelty to the high school jock of today. Playing football today is a very serious and often expensive business to thousands of young athletes.
According to online publication ESPN Rise: “Many people clearly believe Florida is the best high school football state.” Lake Mary, Florida grad, All-American linebacker at USC, and first-round draft pick Keith Rivers of the Cincinnati Bengals is a perfect example of a ‘local-kid-makes-good-on-his-dream’ story.
But sports success does not come easily or inexpensively for most youth in high school sports today even here in Florida. Doug Peters, Athletic Director at Lake Mary High School tells me that his high school alone averages 800 student athletes annually and only about 15 of them will go on to attend college on athletic scholarships after graduation each year.
Although his parents may not be aware of it yet, high school football players already know that they need real marketing to the tune of: professionally produced highlight videos, personal trainers and even a “scout” who contacts multiple schools on the player’s behalf in order to play college football. The commitment required for today’s high school athletes is so different because it involves even greater emotional, personal and financial investment on the part of the whole family.
Take 16 year old Trevor Alfredson (full disclosure: my youngest child) who has been playing football and loving it since he was six years old. “I’ve wanted to play Division 1 football for as long as I can remember” says Trevor. And as a high school sophomore varsity player, Trev’s season also involved hiring a firm to make a highlight video, discussions with two different recruiting service firms, training with former a NFL playerDana Sanders and attending something called “combines”.
For those uninitiated in the “jock” lingo of today: high school football combines officially test athletes on a number of physical skills like speed, agility, and strength while various college coaches look on. The pressure to get noticed is incredibly heavy for these boys, as early as age 14! The cost of sophomore year football alone, with an eye toward playing “division 1 football” can range upwards of $5500.
The pressure and problems of “making it” aren’t unique to football either. Lake Mary’s Lee Morgan is a junior who plays two kinds of soccer (Club Soccer and high school soccer) AND football so he’ll have the best shot at playing a college sport at a good school. A super-talented and first string football kicker, Lee has already emailed a number of college coaches (part of his personal marketing plan) and heard back from some of the Florida college coaches. For a fee Lee’s invited to summer soccer camps so the coaches can get an up-close-and personal look.
As fiercely competitive as college sports have become for high schoolers today, Lee tells us that “I’ve been playing soccer since I was 7, and now I want to keep all of my options open.” His educator father Walt, says that “part of today’s added pressure is because the cost of college has also risen, which can put more pressure on athletic scholarships.”
Florida’s Chip Humble works for CSA Prep Stars and he scouts players for multiple schools. Chip says that most parents need help understanding how recruiting really works. And with the exception of those very rare “blue chip players” like Keith Rivers, “lots of good athletes go unnoticed and unseen because they haven’t been properly marketed”.
The pros in the know say that the main reason many boys are not recruited is that no one knows about them. As Chip reminds the parents of his athletic roster: “just because your child was good in Little League or a standout at her own school it doesn’t mean they are a ‘blue chip’ All American athlete as far as college coaches are concerned.”
Raising a jock right now means a personal profile with website; following coaches on Twitter, verified game & combine stats and that pro-quality highlight video looked at by hundreds of college coaches. Dreams don't come cheap these days, even in high school!
Fast forward to 2009, high school football Florida style. Those carefree memories are a funny novelty to the high school jock of today. Playing football today is a very serious and often expensive business to thousands of young athletes.
According to online publication ESPN Rise: “Many people clearly believe Florida is the best high school football state.” Lake Mary, Florida grad, All-American linebacker at USC, and first-round draft pick Keith Rivers of the Cincinnati Bengals is a perfect example of a ‘local-kid-makes-good-on-his-dream’ story.
But sports success does not come easily or inexpensively for most youth in high school sports today even here in Florida. Doug Peters, Athletic Director at Lake Mary High School tells me that his high school alone averages 800 student athletes annually and only about 15 of them will go on to attend college on athletic scholarships after graduation each year.
Although his parents may not be aware of it yet, high school football players already know that they need real marketing to the tune of: professionally produced highlight videos, personal trainers and even a “scout” who contacts multiple schools on the player’s behalf in order to play college football. The commitment required for today’s high school athletes is so different because it involves even greater emotional, personal and financial investment on the part of the whole family.
Take 16 year old Trevor Alfredson (full disclosure: my youngest child) who has been playing football and loving it since he was six years old. “I’ve wanted to play Division 1 football for as long as I can remember” says Trevor. And as a high school sophomore varsity player, Trev’s season also involved hiring a firm to make a highlight video, discussions with two different recruiting service firms, training with former a NFL playerDana Sanders and attending something called “combines”.
For those uninitiated in the “jock” lingo of today: high school football combines officially test athletes on a number of physical skills like speed, agility, and strength while various college coaches look on. The pressure to get noticed is incredibly heavy for these boys, as early as age 14! The cost of sophomore year football alone, with an eye toward playing “division 1 football” can range upwards of $5500.
The pressure and problems of “making it” aren’t unique to football either. Lake Mary’s Lee Morgan is a junior who plays two kinds of soccer (Club Soccer and high school soccer) AND football so he’ll have the best shot at playing a college sport at a good school. A super-talented and first string football kicker, Lee has already emailed a number of college coaches (part of his personal marketing plan) and heard back from some of the Florida college coaches. For a fee Lee’s invited to summer soccer camps so the coaches can get an up-close-and personal look.
As fiercely competitive as college sports have become for high schoolers today, Lee tells us that “I’ve been playing soccer since I was 7, and now I want to keep all of my options open.” His educator father Walt, says that “part of today’s added pressure is because the cost of college has also risen, which can put more pressure on athletic scholarships.”
Florida’s Chip Humble works for CSA Prep Stars and he scouts players for multiple schools. Chip says that most parents need help understanding how recruiting really works. And with the exception of those very rare “blue chip players” like Keith Rivers, “lots of good athletes go unnoticed and unseen because they haven’t been properly marketed”.
The pros in the know say that the main reason many boys are not recruited is that no one knows about them. As Chip reminds the parents of his athletic roster: “just because your child was good in Little League or a standout at her own school it doesn’t mean they are a ‘blue chip’ All American athlete as far as college coaches are concerned.”
Raising a jock right now means a personal profile with website; following coaches on Twitter, verified game & combine stats and that pro-quality highlight video looked at by hundreds of college coaches. Dreams don't come cheap these days, even in high school!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
I'm in love and his name is Roomba!
It’s not a traditional love story. Think Romeo and Juliet meets 2001 A Space Odyssey. No, maybe ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?’ is closer. It’s a bizarre tale of my new love affair…which my husband knows about, tolerates and even sometimes encourages!
I'm fairly sure that I've never put pen to paper (or fingers to laptop) about a household appliance before but enter my new and now beloved Roomba. Can I just say, OMIGOD!!!!! Jane Jetson here I come, I mean O-M-I-G-O-D!
It started late last year when a work pal and avowed geek told me over lunch that he had a Roomba vacuum and it would change my life. Yeah, allright. It's basically a vacuum cleaner that runs by itself. I was mildly intrigued, particularly when he told me where I might find one on sale, but it was still a vacuum cleaner after all.
But the ‘vacuum cleaner’ description doesn't do my Roomba justice. My emotional attachment defies description. So a love affair with Roomba would probably be more apt. How weird is that - I'm using the words 'love affair' and a vacuum cleaner in the same sentence. I'm afraid I AM Jane Jetson.
Thrifty soul that I am (as lovingly described by my husband although ‘cheap’ is closer to the truth) I figured that a Roomba would be a lot cheaper than a cleaning lady. Change my life or not, a bargain is a bargain after all. And after four months of considering, thinking, changing my mind, changing my mind back again - I found a Roomba I-Robot on-line and took the plunge. I grabbed my plastic and pounded out my numbers and my address, little knowing how one purchase would be so pivotal.
Some seven days later a box was delivered to the house and I quickly changed out of my work clothes to uncrate my electronic toy. Like many middle-aged women, I’m not really particularly excited about electronic toys. Sure, I have a blackberry and a netbook computer but I can’t work our TiVo to save my soul and can barely turn our complicated tv/cable/bluray set on to watch NCIS.
But the Roomba was pretty easy to assemble and needed a charge so 24 hours later it was good to go. It was kind of a fun, futuristic looking little thing but I remained mildly pessimistic particularly in the face of my family’s bemused glances.
The love affair really blossomed when I put Roomba to work: Imagine a long, soul-sapping day at work OR a busy weekend when you really don’t want to spend the whole darn day cleaning and then picture this:
Roomba politely vacuums one room at a time behind closed doors while I sip chardonnay in the other room. He docks himself at the battery charger automatically when he's done vacuuming. He tells me when I need to clean out the massive amounts of dog hair from his brushes. He tells me when he's stuck somewhere. Roomba generally cleans beautifully and I don't do much besides clean the brushes after he's done. Now I ask you: Is this is lovely vision or what?
But I think my love affair with Roomba is more about what he DOESN'T do: doesn't argue, never complains, doesn’t roll his eyes dramatically, won’t shrug, and has never heaved a mighty sigh. Roomba has never ignored me, never “forgotten” that I had asked him to vacuum, never even done a half-hearted job so he wouldn’t be asked to do it again. Roomba has never ever required repeating nagging. I love my Roomba!
In truth I do need sometimes need to spend some a bit of time cleaning his brushes. But I will deny that in his presence, he might find it hurtful. The fact remains that while he is working I am not. Get that? He does the work and I don’t have to. I love my Roomba. I really do love my Roomba.
I use my Roomba at least 5 times a week, we have a pretty big house and a very hairy border collie, and every single time he finishes a room I can be heard to remark aloud that ‘I love my Roomba’. The family still teases me about Roomba’s first week when I left him to do our bedroom and actually SERIOUSLY considered leaving a light on so he could see what he was doing!
You may have noticed that he is not “the Roomba” because in my world Roomba is simply his name. And just last week I bestowed him with our family name too, so now he’s not just Roomba, he’s Roomba Gehring,
I think it’s interesting that if you Google “Roomba”, the official company website promises; maintain cleaner floors every day! Life happens in busy homes. Stay ahead of messy floors with the touch of a button!
Doesn’t even begin to describe Roomba for me though. Not even close.
I'm fairly sure that I've never put pen to paper (or fingers to laptop) about a household appliance before but enter my new and now beloved Roomba. Can I just say, OMIGOD!!!!! Jane Jetson here I come, I mean O-M-I-G-O-D!
It started late last year when a work pal and avowed geek told me over lunch that he had a Roomba vacuum and it would change my life. Yeah, allright. It's basically a vacuum cleaner that runs by itself. I was mildly intrigued, particularly when he told me where I might find one on sale, but it was still a vacuum cleaner after all.
But the ‘vacuum cleaner’ description doesn't do my Roomba justice. My emotional attachment defies description. So a love affair with Roomba would probably be more apt. How weird is that - I'm using the words 'love affair' and a vacuum cleaner in the same sentence. I'm afraid I AM Jane Jetson.
Thrifty soul that I am (as lovingly described by my husband although ‘cheap’ is closer to the truth) I figured that a Roomba would be a lot cheaper than a cleaning lady. Change my life or not, a bargain is a bargain after all. And after four months of considering, thinking, changing my mind, changing my mind back again - I found a Roomba I-Robot on-line and took the plunge. I grabbed my plastic and pounded out my numbers and my address, little knowing how one purchase would be so pivotal.
Some seven days later a box was delivered to the house and I quickly changed out of my work clothes to uncrate my electronic toy. Like many middle-aged women, I’m not really particularly excited about electronic toys. Sure, I have a blackberry and a netbook computer but I can’t work our TiVo to save my soul and can barely turn our complicated tv/cable/bluray set on to watch NCIS.
But the Roomba was pretty easy to assemble and needed a charge so 24 hours later it was good to go. It was kind of a fun, futuristic looking little thing but I remained mildly pessimistic particularly in the face of my family’s bemused glances.
The love affair really blossomed when I put Roomba to work: Imagine a long, soul-sapping day at work OR a busy weekend when you really don’t want to spend the whole darn day cleaning and then picture this:
Roomba politely vacuums one room at a time behind closed doors while I sip chardonnay in the other room. He docks himself at the battery charger automatically when he's done vacuuming. He tells me when I need to clean out the massive amounts of dog hair from his brushes. He tells me when he's stuck somewhere. Roomba generally cleans beautifully and I don't do much besides clean the brushes after he's done. Now I ask you: Is this is lovely vision or what?
But I think my love affair with Roomba is more about what he DOESN'T do: doesn't argue, never complains, doesn’t roll his eyes dramatically, won’t shrug, and has never heaved a mighty sigh. Roomba has never ignored me, never “forgotten” that I had asked him to vacuum, never even done a half-hearted job so he wouldn’t be asked to do it again. Roomba has never ever required repeating nagging. I love my Roomba!
In truth I do need sometimes need to spend some a bit of time cleaning his brushes. But I will deny that in his presence, he might find it hurtful. The fact remains that while he is working I am not. Get that? He does the work and I don’t have to. I love my Roomba. I really do love my Roomba.
I use my Roomba at least 5 times a week, we have a pretty big house and a very hairy border collie, and every single time he finishes a room I can be heard to remark aloud that ‘I love my Roomba’. The family still teases me about Roomba’s first week when I left him to do our bedroom and actually SERIOUSLY considered leaving a light on so he could see what he was doing!
You may have noticed that he is not “the Roomba” because in my world Roomba is simply his name. And just last week I bestowed him with our family name too, so now he’s not just Roomba, he’s Roomba Gehring,
I think it’s interesting that if you Google “Roomba”, the official company website promises; maintain cleaner floors every day! Life happens in busy homes. Stay ahead of messy floors with the touch of a button!
Doesn’t even begin to describe Roomba for me though. Not even close.
Friday, June 5, 2009
I like dreamin'
"I like dreamin', cause dreamin' can make you mine. I like dreamin', holding you close and feelin fine..." a tune that was
dubbed 'sappiest love song from the '70's' and it's been stuck in my mind and hummed endlessly for two days now. But it's not mired in my gray matter because of the unrequited love lyrics (I'm fine and dandy in that department, thank you) but rather because I've been dreaming.
Funny thing though, it's been a long time since I've had the energy or time or hope to dream much at all. Oh sure, I have the all-too common "can't find the right door and missing my flight/meeting/graduation/party" bad dream, and I have the maxxed out subconscious "people I've not thought about since grade school" dream, both of which happen during nights that seem shorter with every passing year.
I don't mean THAT kind of dreaming...I mean having a wide awake "that's what I want to do with me life!" dream. For years I've bemoaned the fact that I hadn't gone to law school as my "lost" dream. Secretly though, the law school dream may have had more to do with working for myself as opposed to my chosen career. Don't get me wrong, I adore working in television and have loved it from the very first moment, but my choice has also meant working for an ever-changing cast of companies and people and having little control.
God knows, I do relish control! And perhaps that's why I haven't dreamt more. Dreaming seemed both frivolous and negative. Dreaming was an impractical waste of time because it devolved into "I wish I'd made this career choice" and "I wish we'd met when we were younger" or "I wish we had enough money to...". But something has changed. Maybe I did, maybe the dreams did, although I suspect we both did.
This newfound dreaming has something to do with maturity and confidence, something to do with supportive friends and a loving family and even something to do with this blogging. It was honestly a "V-8 moment" that first occurred when I was Facebooking a friend about blogging. And then 3 days ago I was talking to an old friend and respected colleague who in response to my faint hope said, "Well, you know you could really do that".
It's been my experience that middle aged women with careers and families struggle with the same burden that most men do. We support all, most or part of our family financially. We seem genetically predisposed to shoulder most of the emotional and physical load of home, hearth and children. In my case, most of this was the result of choices I've made and don't regret. There just wasn't any time for dreaming, because there was so much "doing"!
I don't mean to be coy about my new dream, and it's not particularly wild - my dream is to write. My dream is to write for a living. The irony of writing about a dream about writing is not lost on me. Rather like holding a mirror up to a mirror so that the reflections seem to go on infinitely. My point though is not the "what" of my dream, but that the act of dreaming now strikes me as hopeful and optimistic and even possible.
I guess I've slowed down a little, at least I don't constantly run at such an emotionally high pitch. I still work 65 hours a week, and I spend the rest of the time trying to be a loving wife & mom by cooking, cleaning, organizing, shopping and generally worrying. But I don't feel so frantic these days and it's freed my mind up just enough to think about what would make me really happy. In other words, it feels good to dream and it feels even better to have a dream!
In my day job, we would say "stay tuned" but wouldn't it be great if I could say "continued on page 47" too!?!
dubbed 'sappiest love song from the '70's' and it's been stuck in my mind and hummed endlessly for two days now. But it's not mired in my gray matter because of the unrequited love lyrics (I'm fine and dandy in that department, thank you) but rather because I've been dreaming.
Funny thing though, it's been a long time since I've had the energy or time or hope to dream much at all. Oh sure, I have the all-too common "can't find the right door and missing my flight/meeting/graduation/party" bad dream, and I have the maxxed out subconscious "people I've not thought about since grade school" dream, both of which happen during nights that seem shorter with every passing year.
I don't mean THAT kind of dreaming...I mean having a wide awake "that's what I want to do with me life!" dream. For years I've bemoaned the fact that I hadn't gone to law school as my "lost" dream. Secretly though, the law school dream may have had more to do with working for myself as opposed to my chosen career. Don't get me wrong, I adore working in television and have loved it from the very first moment, but my choice has also meant working for an ever-changing cast of companies and people and having little control.
God knows, I do relish control! And perhaps that's why I haven't dreamt more. Dreaming seemed both frivolous and negative. Dreaming was an impractical waste of time because it devolved into "I wish I'd made this career choice" and "I wish we'd met when we were younger" or "I wish we had enough money to...". But something has changed. Maybe I did, maybe the dreams did, although I suspect we both did.
This newfound dreaming has something to do with maturity and confidence, something to do with supportive friends and a loving family and even something to do with this blogging. It was honestly a "V-8 moment" that first occurred when I was Facebooking a friend about blogging. And then 3 days ago I was talking to an old friend and respected colleague who in response to my faint hope said, "Well, you know you could really do that".
It's been my experience that middle aged women with careers and families struggle with the same burden that most men do. We support all, most or part of our family financially. We seem genetically predisposed to shoulder most of the emotional and physical load of home, hearth and children. In my case, most of this was the result of choices I've made and don't regret. There just wasn't any time for dreaming, because there was so much "doing"!
I don't mean to be coy about my new dream, and it's not particularly wild - my dream is to write. My dream is to write for a living. The irony of writing about a dream about writing is not lost on me. Rather like holding a mirror up to a mirror so that the reflections seem to go on infinitely. My point though is not the "what" of my dream, but that the act of dreaming now strikes me as hopeful and optimistic and even possible.
I guess I've slowed down a little, at least I don't constantly run at such an emotionally high pitch. I still work 65 hours a week, and I spend the rest of the time trying to be a loving wife & mom by cooking, cleaning, organizing, shopping and generally worrying. But I don't feel so frantic these days and it's freed my mind up just enough to think about what would make me really happy. In other words, it feels good to dream and it feels even better to have a dream!
In my day job, we would say "stay tuned" but wouldn't it be great if I could say "continued on page 47" too!?!
Monday, May 11, 2009
The good, the bad and the...it's ALL good!
I find myself getting melancholy wondering why sensitivity and appreciation are wasted on the middle-aged. If you don't know me well, this next statement will be telling about my age:
I miss the days that business' were always closed on Sunday, that department stores closed at 6pm five nights a week, that no one worked on holidays except telephone operators and hospitals, and if you ran out of something after dinner you would just have to wait until the store opened tomorrow. We had to talk to each other, spend some down-time together, and were never available 24-7 nor had any desire to be so.
What, you may wonder is the relationship between my melancholy and this new sensitivity? I find more and more, and much to my delight that our crummy economy is heralding a return to a kinder, gentler us. People actually seemed pleased to take your order today, no longer surly about a "bad" job. Clerks are helpful and caring and friendly. Small and mid-sized business now demonstrate every day the ingenuity and creativity that feels a lot more like the place I grew up in.
To whit: The Dodge dealership offering free oil-changes and tune-ups to the owners of any Dodge, Saturn or Kia...the kind of relationship building that has more to do with the customer than with the price point. Or the car wash giving away free "shammys" with every car wash (refer to April blog "fonetic sosietee!) because winning customers today means you have to go the extra mile. Consider the small but quaint restaurant that partnered with the struggling antique store next door to provide both extra seating for the weekend crowds and to get foot traffic into the antique shop - creative, ingenious, and delightfully smart in that it is both old-fashioned and trend setting.
And my favorite story of the week: On Wednesday we learned that some banks are demolishing foreclosed homes, because after all, banks didn't ever intend to own the homes, only the paper. And the foreclosures continue: short sales, defaults, abandonments, and refinancing is nigh unto impossible. But on Thursday, this light at the end of my reflective tunnel: one big bank has partnered with organizations that assist the homeless and are now leasing the foreclosed empty houses to homeless families for $1, provided they will live in the house for a year and keep the property up. NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT! Don't you just love it? Risky? Sure. Selfless? Probably not. But good God, lending a hand for whatever reason reminds me so much of the post 9/11 sentiment that swept the country but vanished too soon.
Ahhh I'm melancholy, sentimental and probably old-fashioned. These small stories are an unanticipated silver lining. Eventually this current challenge may make us all stronger and better. Of course you may have to remind me of that when I'm working into my '80's.
I miss the days that business' were always closed on Sunday, that department stores closed at 6pm five nights a week, that no one worked on holidays except telephone operators and hospitals, and if you ran out of something after dinner you would just have to wait until the store opened tomorrow. We had to talk to each other, spend some down-time together, and were never available 24-7 nor had any desire to be so.
What, you may wonder is the relationship between my melancholy and this new sensitivity? I find more and more, and much to my delight that our crummy economy is heralding a return to a kinder, gentler us. People actually seemed pleased to take your order today, no longer surly about a "bad" job. Clerks are helpful and caring and friendly. Small and mid-sized business now demonstrate every day the ingenuity and creativity that feels a lot more like the place I grew up in.
To whit: The Dodge dealership offering free oil-changes and tune-ups to the owners of any Dodge, Saturn or Kia...the kind of relationship building that has more to do with the customer than with the price point. Or the car wash giving away free "shammys" with every car wash (refer to April blog "fonetic sosietee!) because winning customers today means you have to go the extra mile. Consider the small but quaint restaurant that partnered with the struggling antique store next door to provide both extra seating for the weekend crowds and to get foot traffic into the antique shop - creative, ingenious, and delightfully smart in that it is both old-fashioned and trend setting.
And my favorite story of the week: On Wednesday we learned that some banks are demolishing foreclosed homes, because after all, banks didn't ever intend to own the homes, only the paper. And the foreclosures continue: short sales, defaults, abandonments, and refinancing is nigh unto impossible. But on Thursday, this light at the end of my reflective tunnel: one big bank has partnered with organizations that assist the homeless and are now leasing the foreclosed empty houses to homeless families for $1, provided they will live in the house for a year and keep the property up. NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT! Don't you just love it? Risky? Sure. Selfless? Probably not. But good God, lending a hand for whatever reason reminds me so much of the post 9/11 sentiment that swept the country but vanished too soon.
Ahhh I'm melancholy, sentimental and probably old-fashioned. These small stories are an unanticipated silver lining. Eventually this current challenge may make us all stronger and better. Of course you may have to remind me of that when I'm working into my '80's.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
fonetic sosietee
I fear we are becoming a completely phonetic people. No one seems to read and "spell check" autocorrects every misspelling as it occurs. I remember worrying that calculators would destroy the human ability to puzzle through a math problem, but that pales in comparison to the impact of software and the assortment of handheld technology on writing, spelling and grammar.
Ironically, the dramatic advent of social networking could be the redemption of the written word. Though my friends wonder aloud if anyone speaks to each other anymore, perhaps the fear of ridicule by other facebookers, tweets, myspacers, etc. will simply shame us into re-learning how to spell. Or maybe I'm a stickling dinosaur, forever mired in the good 'ol days of readin', ritin' & 'rithmatic!
Ironically, the dramatic advent of social networking could be the redemption of the written word. Though my friends wonder aloud if anyone speaks to each other anymore, perhaps the fear of ridicule by other facebookers, tweets, myspacers, etc. will simply shame us into re-learning how to spell. Or maybe I'm a stickling dinosaur, forever mired in the good 'ol days of readin', ritin' & 'rithmatic!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Chimpathetic
Amid speeches, platitudes, gloomy market closes and dire earnings reports the story that has really intriuged me this week was another matter entirely.
In a quick and decisive move, the House has acted quickly to enact legislation prohibiting the ownership of chimpanzees and other primates. The bill is expected to clear the Senate shortly. This magnificent piece of political genius happened “in the wake of a brutal - and highly publicized - attack last week in which a Connecticut woman was critically injured by a rampaging chimp. It passed easily by a 323-95 vote.”
Are we serious? Clearly the individual ownership of chimpanzees is at best ill-conceived and at worst dangerous. But what has happened to freedom? What has happened to liberty? What, for that matter, has happened to states rights?
“Lions & tigers & bears, oh my!” We needed the federal government to move aggressively on this critical issue why? And what will be next? Maybe overweight cats are too big a drag on the economy…outlaw ‘em! Parrots could go cage-crazy and peck out an eye…deport the feathered little buggers! Personally I detest pit bulls and think ownership of one is criminally stupid but I must say that I would fight for the right of every American to own one if they choose to.
Where was speedy and decisive federal action about actual issues…you know, things like Freddie Mac & Fannie Mae gaily loaning money to dishonest and/or starry-eyed naïve homeowners, or maybe the appalling lack of airline safety measures or perhaps premium crazy health insurers or even more federal support for mass transit. Actual honest-to-god problems that affect more than that poor woman in Connecticut.
Why, I am amazed that so many Americans have escaped similar grisly fates before the federal government swooped in to save us! This one small piece of legislation may signal, I fear, a rapid slide down a very slippery slope. Who among our founding fathers could have envisioned the need for Patrick Henry to say "Give me liberty or give me a monkey"!
In a quick and decisive move, the House has acted quickly to enact legislation prohibiting the ownership of chimpanzees and other primates. The bill is expected to clear the Senate shortly. This magnificent piece of political genius happened “in the wake of a brutal - and highly publicized - attack last week in which a Connecticut woman was critically injured by a rampaging chimp. It passed easily by a 323-95 vote.”
Are we serious? Clearly the individual ownership of chimpanzees is at best ill-conceived and at worst dangerous. But what has happened to freedom? What has happened to liberty? What, for that matter, has happened to states rights?
“Lions & tigers & bears, oh my!” We needed the federal government to move aggressively on this critical issue why? And what will be next? Maybe overweight cats are too big a drag on the economy…outlaw ‘em! Parrots could go cage-crazy and peck out an eye…deport the feathered little buggers! Personally I detest pit bulls and think ownership of one is criminally stupid but I must say that I would fight for the right of every American to own one if they choose to.
Where was speedy and decisive federal action about actual issues…you know, things like Freddie Mac & Fannie Mae gaily loaning money to dishonest and/or starry-eyed naïve homeowners, or maybe the appalling lack of airline safety measures or perhaps premium crazy health insurers or even more federal support for mass transit. Actual honest-to-god problems that affect more than that poor woman in Connecticut.
Why, I am amazed that so many Americans have escaped similar grisly fates before the federal government swooped in to save us! This one small piece of legislation may signal, I fear, a rapid slide down a very slippery slope. Who among our founding fathers could have envisioned the need for Patrick Henry to say "Give me liberty or give me a monkey"!
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