Week of April 21, 2008

Hey everyone, here we go. . . . . .

 

IN OUR WORLD

 

Seattle was great!  The city should hire me because every time I’m there the weather is beautiful.  Cool and crisp with a fresh blanket of snow on the Cascades – SPECTACULAR!  If it wasn’t such a damn long flight I would  love coming out here.  Ah, forget about the flight, I love coming out here!

 

Many of you know that I love unique breakfast eateries and Seattle has one of the top 3 in the country – The Portage Bay Café!  I always make a stop for their vanilla yogurt pancakes and a trip to their berry bar (imagine a bunch of silver bowls filled with every fresh berry known in the universe).  WOW!

 

I introduced our latest sales strategy base on the research I did from top producers in three separate industries.  By applying the Repeatable Successful Acts in a three part sales model, you can revolutionize and simplify your current sales systems.  It was a huge success with a financial services client and is gaining momentum with almost all of our big clients.  Simple, Powerful and Elegant!

 

Next week it is off to Orlando and DisneyWorld to launch three separate strategic platforms – Transformation, Curriculum design and training and our latest look at leadership skills and principles.  Oh, I am throwing in some time with Laura and Mickey at the Magic Kingdom!

 

 

 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

Everywhere you turn you hear and see more and more about the power of utilizing rich media and web based opportunities to contact and extend your customer relationships.  We have an entire division dedicated to rich media strategies.  From video to HTML, from podcasting to blogs, each have a specific place in just about every ones marketing and sales strategies.  Don’t believe me?  Think that its just to complicated or expensive?  Here are a few key bits of information to help you make the move to rich media.

 

• Recent consumer studies show that people looking for product info now gravitate to the companies web sites as the most credible source of product information.
• Clothier JJ Crew has made a huge commitment to their internet penetration and recently set up a “personal shopper” program that you can sign up for on line allowing you to meet with a JJ Crew team member and access the store before or after regular store hours.  The impact – 14% increase in revenue from 06 – 07.
• GM is moving half its $3 billion advertising budget to on line and one on one marketing within the next 3 years!
• We just finished two custom videos for a 10^th of what a print piece would have cost and gave the client a living breathing product deliverable in a variety of strategic channels.

 

Get on the bus or the opportunity will pass you by!

 

 

 

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

 

MOVIES:     The Forbidden Kingdom is a fun martial arts adventure movie.

 

NetFlix Fans:  The Princess Bride –   A recent dinner discussion centered around naming “perfect movies”.    You might ask; what criteria makes for a perfect movie?  Well, it is the most subjective of grades, but we have found when you name one that generates a table response of “Oh Yeah”, it’s a winner.  Here is one that made  the list.  If you have not seen it, DO SO NOW!

 

TV:    Finally, on it’s new night, Monday’s, Dr. Gregory House makes his triumphant return to Fox TV on House MD.  Also, was home in time to catch Boston Legal last week and it made we cry for 30 minutes.  Not to be outdone on my tear ducts, was the final episode in the epic mini-series on HBO, John Adams.  This is a must see for those who missed it. 

 

BOOKS:  Protect and Defend, is the latest Mitch Rapp adventure written by Vince Flynn.  Rapp is one of my favorite reoccurring characters and the long flight to Seattle gave me some quality time with his latest butt kicking story.

 

MUSIC:  I am a big Colin Hay fan and just found this video of one of my favorite songs – Waiting For My Real Life To Begin.  Fantastic lyrics.

 

 

WEB SITES:   Looking for song lyrics.  Here is a great site.

 

http://www.lyricsdepot.com/

 

SOUTH OF NORMAL

Here are a couple of South of Normal business ideas that I really like!

·        www.vibrantbrains.com out of San Francisco is setting up health club styled facilities to keep your brain as fit as your body.  They use a variety of computer software programs that challenge your mental power.  They even have brain trainers!

·        www.ikea.com has added an interesting twist to their Stockholm store.  They now have a sleep/nap center, where after an exhausting couple hours of shopping you can rent a bed, dawn a set of headphones and a sleeping mask and catch a short nap.  This prepares you for the rigors of afternoon shopping!

 

“Aint no use to sit and wonder why babe,

It don’t matter any how.

Don’t think twice it’s alright.”

Bob Dylan

 

 

Drop me a note with your comments at creativeventures@nova1.com.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by and until next time, Adios and Aloha.