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We sure do focus a lot on innovation in technology.
And that’s fine, I guess, but it leads us to think that tech is how most problems get solved. And in my experience, it’s usually not the problem.
Most often, innovation needs to happen in the way people think and interact.
We love to hold up technology advancements in examples of moving society forward. Steam engines. Light bulbs. Drones. Cell phones.
But we only do this because they’re tangible. You can take a picture of it, perhaps even hold it in your hand.
I would argue that the vast majority of innovations aren’t technological at all. They’re process refinements, business models, and marketing strategies.
This year, for whatever reason, I’m getting deluged with Christmas and holiday greetings of all kinds. I appreciate the sentiments and thoughtfulness. Many are even courageous enough to acknowledge that this is a religious holiday.
So far, I’ve received 52 in my email – mostly in newsletter form. Most were automatically customized to insert my name in the greeting.
I’ve received four cards via snail mail. Those are the ones sitting here on my desk – they didn’t get deleted within 10 seconds.
This is exactly why I sent physical cards again this year. All handwritten and personalized to the individual.
It DOES make a difference.
Julie has some great observations about how to get free (or super cheap) marketing impressions. Are you taking advantage of this in YOUR business?
Have you ever driven up behind someone and noticed a car dealership decal on the back window (see image on right—the sticker is located below the back brake light)? If you live in Northern Colorado, your answer should most definitely be “yes.” Every dealership in the area must have gotten a great deal on back window decals. Or, rather, one dealership started doing it and all the others followed suit.
My husband has always been baffled by this and has even gone as far as to ask our friends who have recently purchased cars, “Did you get a discount for letting them put that sticker on your back window?” The answer is always, “No.” This response gets my husband riled up, mainly because he thinks the stickers are obnoxious. And, it always gets me thinking: how could other businesses capitalize on such an easy, and basically free, way to market?
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A fair number of companies use personality tests during their interviewing process. This is dumb.
Why would I say that?
- It tells you basically nothing useful.
- It’s insulting to interviewees.
- Any interviewee that’s halfway intelligent can figure out how to feed you the answer you want to hear. If you’re testing for test-taking intelligence, there’s much better ways to do it.
- It’s a waste of time and money.
- You’re kidding yourself that your decisions are any higher quality than just trusting your folks’ gut feel.
Sometimes it feels like passwords are the bane of my existence.
Some years ago, I realized that keeping track of passwords in a text file was probably not real bright. If someone stole my PC, it would be a simple matter to bypass the Windows login and find all the keys to my identity. So I switched over to a free password manager (KeePass) and have been tracking things in there ever since.
As of today, I have 383 passwords stored in there. It’s out of control!
I get lots of newsletters. I don’t know if I’m a junkie, exactly, but sometimes it feels like my email is swimming with these things.
But it gives me an opportunity to form opinions about what works best. And what doesn’t.
There’s a whole group of messages which look like plain old emails which were sent to hundreds or thousands of people. Sure, this is the least expensive approach, but it’s not giving a great impression of the company. Read the rest of this entry »
I bought a new washer and dryer a couple of months ago. A decent investment of money, for sure, but this pair might last us another thirty years.
Overall, the experience was what I expected. This is a major American brand, so it had the usual pile of random papers in the box, under an amazing amount of packing material. But the machines work as expected, and are much more efficient than what we had previously.
We’re reasonably happy.
I got two emails today from the manufacturer which were seeking my feedback. Fine. Read the rest of this entry »
I’m basically a one-person coaching business – I work with my partners in Small Fish, but ultimately I’m the one responsible for everything that happens.
I have lots of conversations with others who are in a similar situation – consultants, coaches, entrepreneurs, and other tiny businesses. A common issue is getting off track – especially with the less-than-favorite tasks:
- Marketing
- Sales conversations
- Billing and financial management
- Keeping track of notes and information
Most coaches get into this kind of business because they love coaching itself – the rest of this stuff is necessary, but not usually as gratifying.
Here’s how I keep on track myself:
Business Coaching Northern Colorado 